Okiku and the World

Edo-era Japan. If you are familiar with the attitude of Sakamoto Junji, you don’t even need the cheeky welcome to understand that the samurais, nobles, and landlords in this jidaigeki will not be portrayed in the heydays of their glory. And so it is: our welcome party are two rogue vagrants making their living as “manure men”, turning the waste from the tenement toilets into fertiliser sold to local farmers. Enter Okiku, the only daughter of a fallen samurai, and amongst the overflowing piles of excrement, a well-nourished love story unfolds. Naturally, the cesspools are a wonderful place to store environmental concerns and class issues that Okiku and the World explores with a blend of impish humour and sewage wit. The cast of characters sparkle and the relationships that develop between them are full of resilience and gentle romance. This unconventional tale finds wonder amidst the waste. A powerhouse in his native Japan, Sakamoto Junji’s work has been mostly overlooked on the international stage. No stranger to controversy, he brings a signature boldness to the period drama, with an aesthetic confidence that makes the viewing experience both playful and rich. The meticulous production design is captured in black-and-white photography embellished with glimpses of colour, revealing both the beautiful and the foul. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)