A makeup artist's brush becomes a weapon against Japan's rigid beauty standards.
Acting
Setsuko Karasuma's face does impossible emotional acrobatics.
Cinematography
Close-ups that feel like invasions, then invitations.
Direction
Nakahara lets scenes breathe until they suffocate.
Director
Shun Nakahara
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during Japan's bubble economy, the film critiques the era's obsession with surface perfection and disposable identities.
Setsuko Karasuma was primarily a stage actress; Nakahara fought studio pressure to cast her.
JP
