The Asadas<\/i><\/b> is inspired by real-life photographer Masashi Asada, and director Ry\u014dta manages to instill both drama and comedy in his cinematic storytelling. Masashi (Kazunari Ninomiya) is an energetic dreamer who discovers photography quite soon in his life. His father Akira (Mitsuru Hirata), mother Junko (Jun Fubuki) and older brother Yukihiro (Satoshi Tsumabuki<\/span> ) have always been there to support his calling and professional path. His work initially revolves around taking staged photos of his family, depicting an ideal world where they have different experiences: from hospital patients to firefighters, from gangsters to car racers, from competitive eaters to superheroes. One could almost see it as the whimsical, Nipponic version of Cindy Sherman\u2019s photography.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a92020 “Asadas” Production Committee<\/p>\n This playful photo-album leads Masashi to publish the book called \u2018The Asadas\u2019. All those who love him are cheering for him. Even his longtime girlfriend Wakana (Haru Kuroki), will be crucial for the fledgeling photographer when he tries to establish himself in Tokyo. Gradually Masashi starts getting requests from average families for him to take photos of them, such as \u2018The Takaharas,\u2019 \u2018The Sakuras,\u2019 \u2018The Yoshidas,\u2019 \u2018The Matsumotos.\u2019 But it is during the aftermath of the 2011 T\u014dhoku earthquake that Masashi\u2019s photographic skills find a different objective. He embarks on a mission with a new friend \u2014 Y\u014dsuke Ono (Masaki Suda) \u2014 with whom Masashi finds a socially relevant purpose to his photography. <\/span><\/p>\n The Asadas<\/i><\/b> was completed in 2020, and it claimed that the real life Photo Recovery Group was still at work. In 2019 alone it recovered eight thousand photos and returned sixty thousand to its owners. Eventually the project also published the book-album no chikara<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a92020 “Asadas” Production Committee<\/p>\n The filmic narrative unfolds almost like a video album, where we first encounter The Asadas when Masashi is 10 years old. We follow their adventures through the photographer\u2019s life journey, all the way to his twenties. The Asadas are a tight knit family and it is particularly emblematic what Yukihiro tells his younger sibling: \u201cParents share the joys and sadness of their sons.<\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The film shakes up familial archetypes, and it comes across as even more effective considering Japan has a very traditional culture. Mrs. Asada is the breadwinner, who relentlessly works as a nurse, while Mr. Asada is the stay-at-home dad who cooks for everyone and acts as caregiver. Even Wakana, Masashi\u2019s girlfriend, shows great empowerment, since for years she will be the financial and psychological support of Masashi in the Japanese capital.<\/span><\/p>\n The Asadas<\/i><\/b> was part of the official selection for the Warsaw Film Festival (where it won the Nippon Rising Star Award) and the 26<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> Busan International Film Festival. The moral of the motion picture by Ry\u014dta Nakano is condensed in its conclusive reflection: \u201cOnly memories can fill the gap of what we have lost. And photography can make those memories tangible. Sometimes photos also give us the strength to live on.<\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Final Grade: B+<\/span><\/p>\n Check out more of Chiara\u2019s articles<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Asadas3.jpg\")
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