Swaying Mariko
US PREMIERE
たまゆらのマリ子
Koji Segawa· 2017 · 65 minutes
preceded by PING PANG
FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE
Mariko is miserable both at work - a batting cage where her slimy manager is constantly harassing his female underlings - and at home where she raises a son with a husband she suspects is having an affair. She is quiet and keeps to herself in both environments but inside her head is where she bottles up her suspicions and annoyances, where she can be brutally honest about those around her. It’s not long before she’s muttering grievances out loud at work, unaware of the presence of her coworkers. Her paranoia continues to escalate until reality is warped by her visions and she starts to formulate a plot to murder her husband. All her aggression and sexual frustration begin to come out in ways Mariko is unable to control yet possibly embraces.
The film’s centerpiece is a disorienting ballet of primal expression that is both disturbing and hilarious; it achieves a transcendence made all the more impressive considering the film’s low budget. Themes of loneliness and anguish are depicted earnestly and are still given a light, absurdist touch. Ultimately Swaying Mariko finds light within the cruel aspects of life.
Filmography: Mothwoman (‘08); Kogeonna warau (‘11).