22nd New York Asian Film Festival

Jul 14-30, 2023

FilmsGuestsTalks & EventsSchedule & Tickets

Photo: © In Her Room Film Partners

North American Premiere

In Her Room

ひとりぼっちじゃない

There are mysteries nested inside mysteries in this otherworldly erotic film, the directorial debut of veteran screenwriter Chihiro Ito (Crying Out Love in the Center of the World; Spring Snow), adapted from her own novel. Establishing herself instantly with a unique vision, Ito fully embraces the rewards of arthouse cinema's long takes to stunning effect. Moving at a hypnotic pace, with many scenes so hushed they could almost be pantomimes, In Her Room follows a shy dentist, Dr. Susume (Satoru Iguchi, the keyboardist for J-pop sensation King Gnu) as he develops a strange relationship with a woman who lives in a lush, plant-filled apartment. The two share confidences as the vines creep over the walls and praying mantises scuttle silently. But Susume soon finds himself displaced by a female rival. Maybe. Possibly. Who really knows? This hothouse of secrets and lies is utterly beguiling, with hints of the absurd and an unforgettable soupçon of the surreal.

Director: Chihiro Ito
Screenwriter: Chihiro Ito
Cast: Satoru Iguchi, Fumika Baba, Kengo Kora, Yuumi Kawai, Rin Kaneko (Satoru Iguchi manager), Kazuma Kimura (Satoru Iguchi hair&make-up artist)
Languages: Japanese with English subtitles
2022; 136 min.

SCHEDULE:

Friday July 28, 6:00pm
Film at Lincoln Center

Intro & Q&A with director Chihiro Ito and actor Satoru Iguchi.

Satoru Iguchi
井口理

A graduate of the Faculty of Music at the Tokyo University of the Arts, Satoru Iguchi is the vocalist and keyboardist for the chart-topping alternative rock band King Gnu, known for their unique “Tokyo Mix” sound. Iguchi has appeared in the films Theater (2020, Isao Yukisada), Sasaki in My Mind (2020, Takuya Uchiyama), and the popular TV series MIU404, as well as playing the lead in the YouTube drama Gossip Box (2021).

Chihiro Ito
伊藤ちひろ

Chihiro Ito began her film career in 2000 on Jun Ichikawa's Zawazawa Shimokitazawa (aka The Whispered City). After a stint as assistant director, she became a screenwriter. In 2003, Ito was tapped to write the screenplay for Isao Yukisada's Crying Out Love in the Center of the World, which went on to become a blockbuster hit. She has since collaborated with Yukisada on many of his films as screenwriter, including Spring Snow (2005), Five Minutes to Tomorrow (2014), Aroused by Gymnopedies (NYAFF 2017), Narratage (2017) and The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (2020). In 2006, she wrote the screenplay for Mamoru Oshii’s animated The Sky Crawlers, selected for competition at the Venice International Film Festival (2008). Ito adapted her first novel to make her feature directorial debut with In Her Room. Her second film, Side by Side, was the closing film of the 2023 Osaka Asian Film Festival.