Japan's
Sabu has been building
a reputation on the
festival circuit since
his debut feature,
1996's Dangan
Runner, won
the Best New Director
Award at Yokohama.
Now, with his fourth
film, Monday, he makes
his second appearance
in Berlin's Forum
after 1998's Unlucky
Monkey.
Sabu
was describing his ultra
deadpan Postman
Blues when he
explained that, "I am
interested in people
who are confronted by
an extreme situation
all of a sudden", but
he might as well have
been talking about Monday,
which centres around
salaryman Takagi, who
wakes up one Monday
morning in a hotel room
with no recollection
whatsoever of how he
got there. In fact,
the only clue he has
to the events which
led to him being there
is the presence of a
packet of salt in his
pocket. But this is
no ordinary salt
this is purification
salt, the type used
to dispel evil spirits
after a funeral or a
wake... But who's dead?
by
Sabu