Dive headfirst into the obscure, intense and astonishing queer nightlife of 1960’s Tokyo. In this masterpiece by Toshio Matsumoto we see the whirlwind of an existence led by the drag divas and trans women of the night, with an honesty and harshness that lets everything pass in front of the camera’s eye: alcohol, drugs, sex, love, pain, masterly performances, urinals and thick clots of mascara. 

Matsumoto blurs the line between fiction and reality by using documentary interviews and a film-in-film effect. He plays with the passage of time and proves his reputation as formidable avant-garde director by experimenting with imagery and sound in an unprecedented way, in which he doesn’t shy away from any means, even cartoon elements. 

With powerful performances by Peter (Shinnosuke Ikehata) as hostess Eddie, Osamu Ogasawara as reigning drag queen Leda and Yoshio Tsuchiya (who also starred in Seven Samurai) as club owner Gonda, this film was already groundbreaking in the conservative Japan of the 1960’s and still is today, right here in Groningen in 2024. 

– Lucas

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