"Kodokushi" is a feature film project set in Japan and the Philippines. It tells the story of Yoji, a middle-aged salaryman who has resolved not to die living alone (a kodokushi or lonely death). The story unfolds late one night when a Filipina contract worker piques his interest by appearing to sense his sadness. Later Yoji discovers the decomposing corpse of his neighbor, an old man whose name he doesn’t know, who has died alone. Determined not to suffer the same fate, he throws caution to the wind to seek out the woman, who has returned to the Philippines. There, he trawls the seedy underbelly of Metro Manila where despite all its drawbacks and discomforts, there is a promise of life, human connections and an unpredictable destiny. The film has received the following supporting recognition: the Talents Tokyo Award, the Next Masters Support Program honor from Talents Tokyo, and the Audience Award at Torino FilmLab. "Kodokushi" has also participated in Ties That Bind and CineMart .

Janus made a documentary out of her research for her feature film. Watch an excerpt of the documentary entitled "Encounters with Silence" at this link: https://vimeo.com/213509133

Main Cities of Activity

Tokyo

Host Institution(s) / Individual(s)

Masumi Soga (Producer)