Program

Director in Focus

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Japan Premiere
『I Was a Simple Man』
Director: Christopher Makoto Yogi
2021／100 minutes／USA／English／FHD
Unfolding across four distinct chapters, the film follows the tale of an elderly man, portrayed by Steve Iwamoto, as he confronts the twilight of his life while being visited by the apparitions of his past. Infused with elements of history, mythology, dreamlike logic, and surrealism, "I Was a Simple Man" intricately weaves a time-shifting, multifaceted story of a fractured family coping with the impending loss of their patriarch. This cinematic journey spans from the modern skyscrapers of contemporary Honolulu to the idyllic pre-WWII countryside of O‘ahu and ultimately ventures into the enigmatic realm beyond.

＜Director Profile＞
Christopher Makoto Yogi
Christopher Makoto Yogi, hailing from Honolulu, Hawai‘i, made his mark in the film industry with his debut feature "August at Akiko’s", which premiered at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2018, receiving critical acclaim and earning a spot on Richard Brody's Best Films of 2019 list in The New Yorker. His subsequent film, "I Was a Simple Man", premiered in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival after being part of esteemed programs like Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs, IFP Film Week, and Film Independent's Fast Track. Yogi's repertoire also includes noteworthy short films, such as the documentaries "Occasionally, I Saw Glimpses of Hawai’i” (2016) and "Makoto: or, Honesty” (2013), as well as the fiction film "Obake (Ghosts)” (2011).




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