Why is this so frustrating?!” is a question I ask myself every time I sit down to write a piece for publication. The angst of the creative process is exasperating, energy consuming and… well, fun. Once you’ve gotten into your groove anyway. In filmmaker Kenichi Ugana’s (Love Will Tear Us Apart, Extraneous Matter), chaotic and funny homage to the pain, and horror of the creative process and Japanese splatter films, The Gesuidouz ザ・ゲスイドウズ, the angst of creating is brilliantly tied to the fear of maturing while trying to figure out how to be a successful punk rocker for lead singer and writer Hanako (Natsuko) and her perfectly imperfect bandmates.
Named after song lyrics referencing the desire to want to live like a “gutter rat” and the Japanese word for sewage, but also the hope of something beautiful coming from something dirty, Hanako has one wish, for The Gesuidouz to have a major hit single and perform at the famous Glastonbury Festival in England before her untimely demise on her 27th birthday.
Convinced she’s destined to die like some of the greatest punk rockers who popularised the genre though she herself is neither as talented and famous as them, nor has any known life-threatening disease – Hanako’s obsession serves as her driving force to create. While her four best friends and bandmates played by, Leo Imamura, Yutaka Kayan, and Rocko Zevenbergen, believe in Hanako completely, their Manager (Yûya Endô) is as frustrated by their abysmal album sales, as she is her writer’s block. Desperate for them to create a hit, he sends them to a rural village in the countryside to take part in a ‘work for lodging’ program.
And wouldn’t you know it. It works. Hanako and the band find inspiration by going back to the origins of punk rockers rocking out in small garages, but this time in a barn surrounded by animals, vegetable fields, and an audience of elderly people who might not understand their lyrics but appreciate their sound.
While in Toronto for the world premiere of The Gesuidouz ザ・ゲスイドウズ at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, Ugana sat with me to talk about his own creative process, using calligraphy as a visual metaphor for the blood and pain of creating, using an homage horror film and punk rock to highlight the dilemma of Japan’s aging population.
The Gesuidouz ザ・ゲスイドウズ premiered in the TIFF 2024 Midnight Madness program.
Interpretation for the interview was conducted by Aki Takabatake of MOMO Films.
Carolyn Hinds
Freelance Film Critic, Journalist, Podcaster & YouTuber
African American Film Critics Association Member, Tomatometer-Approved Critic
Host & Producer Carolyn Talks…, and So Here’s What Happened! Podcast
Bylines at http://Authory.com/CarolynHinds
Twitter & Instagram: @CarrieCnh12
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