Blue Imagine

In the wake of a sexual assault, young actress Noel goes to Blue Imagine, a refuge for people who have experienced violence. With the help of her fellow residents, she is able to reclaim some of her confidence, and decides to confront her abuser. In her directorial debut, actress Matsubayashi Urara takes bold and considered aim at the permeating sexual violence of the Japanese film industry. Blue Imagine skilfully addresses some of the many mental and emotional nuances of the aftermath of abuse while employing a peculiar mixture of subtle, slightly dark humour. Matsubayashi is neither exploitative, nor trivial in her approach, and is ever cautious not to fall for the pitfalls of an easy ‘girl power’ narrative seen in many cinematic studies into the subject. With its eye fixed on support networks rather than vengeance, Blue Imagine offers an urgent and gutsy exploration, encouraging venues of kindness and camaraderie through subtle acts of re-appropriation – a gesture much needed these days, in the arena of film as everywhere. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)