SURVIVAL FAMILY

It’s hard to imagine a more run-of-the-mill Japanese family. Daddy is a grey salaryman, self-effacing mom takes care of the household, junior only takes off his headphones when he goes to sleep, and his sister is completely engrossed in the virtual world of Facebook likes and WhatsApp messages. But then something strange happens: all electrical and mechanical appliances stop functioning. Tokyo comes to a stand-still and the first few days everyone tries to adapt as much as possible. But when the food runs out, a huge exodus sets in motion and our little family also leaves for the countryside. The city slickers are completely at a loss and in order to survive, they have to make contact with their inner primordial man. It will turn out to be a very instructive trip, including lots of interesting encounters with bipeds and quadrupeds. Because a friend in need is a friend indeed! In 2013, we already had Shinobu Yaguchi’s clever-cute Robo-G and now he brings his take on the end of the world (as we know it). But instead of a doom and gloom scenario like I Am Legend or The Road, he turns his tale into a good-natured and funny tragicomedy for the entire family. Fumiyo Kohinata as the paterfamilias (with a hairpiece) is a well-known face from Takeshi Kitano’s Outrage and a bunch of other nifty Nippon movies (Dark Water, Casshern, Ring 2, Audition…).