THE BLESSING BELL

Morning breaks over a desolate factory yard. One of the plants has been shut down. The men, now unemployed, stand around in stunned confusion. No one moves. Finally, one of the workers, a man by the name of Igarashi, takes a step forward. Aimlessly, he starts wandering the streets. Silently and impassive, he weaves in and out the tapestry of life, witnessing and intersecting with the lives of people normally passed by. Stories unfold and interactions take place with a philosophical Yakuza, a jilted husband, a terminally ill man in a bar, a woman whose house has burned down, a desperate salary man…

With The Blessing Bell, Sabu (Monday, Unlucky Monkey, Drive) continues his exploration of contemporary Japan with his trademark deadpan sense of humour and his distinctly bizarre fondness for coincidence. His precise direction maintains our suspension of disbelief, despite the outlandish nature of some of the situations. He is aided by the poker face of Susume Terajima (A Snake of June, Ichi the Killer) as the mute, expressionless victim of this collision of fates.