'他人の顔' [The Face of Another]
Why we chose this film
Who am I?
It’s a question we would want to ask ourselves more frequently.
How we see ourselves is often based on how others perceive us.
But how much of our physical appearance does truly reflect our inner being?
Deep down we have a strong desire for belonging and in order to belong we readily alter our appearance.
What if we are not the only ones?
What if each and everyone of us tries fit the mould?
We would want to accept who we really are and share our true being with the world.
This would allow us to make meaningful connections and genuinely belong.
Film Summary
A staggering work of existential science fiction, The Face of Another dissects identity with the sure hand of a surgeon. Okuyama (Yojimbo's Tatsuya Nakadai), after being burned and disfigured in an industrial accident and estranged from his family and friends, agrees to his psychiatrist's radical experiment: a face transplant, created from the mold of a stranger. As Okuyama is thus further alienated from the world around him, he finds himself giving in to his darker temptations. With unforgettable imagery, Teshigahara's film explores both the limits and freedom in acquiring a new persona, and questions the notion of individuality itself.