The two men on the train are sharing a single set of earphones. “Good song, isn’t it?” says the more gregarious of the two. The quieter man smiles faintly and agrees, “It goes with the landscape.” They could be childhood friends reconnecting, or colleagues who get along despite their differences. But they are filmmaker Atsushi Sakahara, victim of the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attacks, and Hiroshi Araki, long-standing member of Aleph (formerly Aum Shinriko) the doomsday cult that carried them out. And their flickering but unmistakable connection forms the core of the desperately moving “Me and the Cult Leader,” a film made all the more heartbreaking because you can never be quite sure who your heart is breaking for.
In the decades since the attack — panicky amateur footage of which opens the film, as the soundtrack crackles with frantic police chatter — Sakahara has suffered from Ptsd and various physical impairments.
In the decades since the attack — panicky amateur footage of which opens the film, as the soundtrack crackles with frantic police chatter — Sakahara has suffered from Ptsd and various physical impairments.
- 4/28/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
The 21st Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection is planned as a hybrid event and is scheduled for June 1 to 6, 2021. The event is expected to take place online and at a few selected venues in the city of Frankfurt am Main. On six days, the world’s largest festival for Japanese cinema presents a selection of over 100 current Japanese short and feature-length films. All films will be available via video on demand. In addition, several filmmakers will participate in online discussions and interviews live from Japan. Digital workshops, lectures, performances, and concerts complement the program.
Due to uncertainties regarding the further progression of the pandemic and associated regulations, planning the festival is extremely difficult. The organizing team of the Nippon Connection film festival is hopeful, however, that it will be possible to offer on-site cinema as well. “Film festivals always live from shared moments in the cinema and the film experience...
Due to uncertainties regarding the further progression of the pandemic and associated regulations, planning the festival is extremely difficult. The organizing team of the Nippon Connection film festival is hopeful, however, that it will be possible to offer on-site cinema as well. “Film festivals always live from shared moments in the cinema and the film experience...
- 4/3/2021
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
2020 has been a particular good year for documentaries all over the world, as the international political situation along with the pandemic have presented much material for some films. Furthermore, the pandemic also prevented the shooting and essentially, circulation of feature movies to a large degree, giving much space to documentaries to shine much more than usual. Asian cinema responded to the challenge through a number of excellent productions, 15 of which we include here.
Without further ado, here are the best Asian documentaries of 2020, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2020, we decided to include them.
*By clicking on the title, you can read the full review of the film
15. Long Period of Persecution
Proshoon Rahman directs a very thorough documentary that focuses exactly on what the title of the film says. His effort to highlight the history of the Rohingyas, both political...
Without further ado, here are the best Asian documentaries of 2020, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2020, we decided to include them.
*By clicking on the title, you can read the full review of the film
15. Long Period of Persecution
Proshoon Rahman directs a very thorough documentary that focuses exactly on what the title of the film says. His effort to highlight the history of the Rohingyas, both political...
- 12/29/2020
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
The International Documentary Association has announced a shortlist of 30 films from which it will choose its nominations for the 2020 Ida Documentary Awards, with a list that includes “76 Days,” “Boys State,” “Crip Camp,” “MLK/FBI,” “The Reason I Jump,” “The Truffle Hunters,” “Time” and “Welcome to Chechnya.”
The list also included a generous helping of foreign-made docs, including “Notturno,” “Acasa, My Home,” “Collective,” “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange,” “Gunda,” “Me and the Cult Leader,” “A Metamorfose dos Passaros,” “Once Upon a Time in Venezuela” and “Softie.”
The rest of the list: “City Hall,” “Disclosure,” “The Forbidden Reel,” “I Walk on Water,” “The Mole Agent,” “Reunited,” “Self Portrait,” “Stray,” “‘Til Kingdom Come,” “To See You Again,” “Unapologetic,” “The Viewing Booth” and “Wintopia.”
The shortlisted films present a dramatically different view of the year in nonfiction filmmaking than the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday. Only three films — “Crip Camp,...
The list also included a generous helping of foreign-made docs, including “Notturno,” “Acasa, My Home,” “Collective,” “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange,” “Gunda,” “Me and the Cult Leader,” “A Metamorfose dos Passaros,” “Once Upon a Time in Venezuela” and “Softie.”
The rest of the list: “City Hall,” “Disclosure,” “The Forbidden Reel,” “I Walk on Water,” “The Mole Agent,” “Reunited,” “Self Portrait,” “Stray,” “‘Til Kingdom Come,” “To See You Again,” “Unapologetic,” “The Viewing Booth” and “Wintopia.”
The shortlisted films present a dramatically different view of the year in nonfiction filmmaking than the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday. Only three films — “Crip Camp,...
- 10/28/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The 2021 International Documentary Association (IDA) Awards has announced the shortlists for the Best Feature and Best Short categories. In a year crowded with top-notch documentaries (see the Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations here), with more debuts unspooling at Doc NYC (November 11-19), every reputable non-fiction awards group helps to curate the sprawling list of eventual Oscar contenders, and the IDA is no exception. (Read IndieWire’s current list of documentary feature predictions here.)
The IDA will bestow 16 awards this year, for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, ABC News VideoSource Award, and the Pare Lorentz Award.
Honorees will be announced on Tuesday, November 10. Nominees will be announced on Tuesday, November 24, along with the other awards recipients.
The IDA will bestow 16 awards this year, for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, ABC News VideoSource Award, and the Pare Lorentz Award.
Honorees will be announced on Tuesday, November 10. Nominees will be announced on Tuesday, November 24, along with the other awards recipients.
- 10/28/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The 2021 International Documentary Association (Ida) Awards has announced the shortlists for the Best Feature and Best Short categories. In a year crowded with top-notch documentaries (see the Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations here), with more debuts unspooling at Doc NYC (November 11-19), every reputable non-fiction awards group helps to curate the sprawling list of eventual Oscar contenders, and the Ida is no exception. (Read IndieWire’s current list of documentary feature predictions here.)
The Ida will bestow 16 awards this year, for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, ABC News VideoSource Award, and the Pare Lorentz Award.
Honorees will be announced on Tuesday, November 10. Nominees will be announced on Tuesday, November 24, along with the other awards recipients.
The Ida will bestow 16 awards this year, for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best Short Form Series, Best Audio Documentary, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, ABC News VideoSource Award, and the Pare Lorentz Award.
Honorees will be announced on Tuesday, November 10. Nominees will be announced on Tuesday, November 24, along with the other awards recipients.
- 10/28/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
On March 20th, 1995 Atsushi Sakahara was one of over 6,000 people injured in the attack on the Tokyo metro by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, which still operates and recruits today. In his debut film, the documentary Me And The Cult Leader, Sakahara embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator. After being injured in the attack, Sakahara, who produced the 2001 Short Film Palme d’Or winning Bean Cake, directed by David Greenspan, suffered lifelong damage and post-traumatic stress disorder, and managed his recovery in a number of ways. He is a writer and host of the podcast Before After Aum, which focuses on the historical and social context of the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo. He currently resides in Kyoto and is working on a collection of stories and new film projects. Sakahara has been a vocal spokesperson for...
- 6/29/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Korean specialty distributor D.O. Cinema has picked up local rights to Yuya Ishii’s “All The Things We Never Said,” which is bowing at the virtual edition of the Cannes Market, where it is represented by Hong Kong based sales agent Good Move Media.
“Things We Never Said” stars Taiga Nakano, Wakaba Ryuya and Yuko Oshima and is set for a fall festival bow, before theatrical releases confirmed for China, Japan and now Korea. D.O. specializes in releasing Japanese films in Korea and has previously handled several titles by Ishii (“Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue” and “The Great Passage”).
Jostling for top ranking on Good Move’s virtual slate is “Me and the Cult Leader,” a documentary about coming to terms with the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. Directed by Atsushi Sakahara, it had a triumphant world premiere last week at the Sheffield Doc Fest.
“Things We Never Said” stars Taiga Nakano, Wakaba Ryuya and Yuko Oshima and is set for a fall festival bow, before theatrical releases confirmed for China, Japan and now Korea. D.O. specializes in releasing Japanese films in Korea and has previously handled several titles by Ishii (“Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue” and “The Great Passage”).
Jostling for top ranking on Good Move’s virtual slate is “Me and the Cult Leader,” a documentary about coming to terms with the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. Directed by Atsushi Sakahara, it had a triumphant world premiere last week at the Sheffield Doc Fest.
- 6/24/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Atsushi Sakahara chronicles his intimate journey of confronting the doomsday cult behind the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo metro system on March 20th, 1995.
World Premiering as part of Sheffield Doc/Fest’s Digital Edition in the Ghosts And Apparitions selection. Festival to run from June 10 – July 10
On March 20th, 1995 Atsushi Sakahara was one of over 6,000 people injured in the attack on the Tokyo metro by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, which still operates and recruits today. In his debut film, the documentary Me And The Cult Leader, Sakahara embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator.
The two men are around the same age, grew up in the same region, and attended the same university, but their lives diverged dramatically in the late 80s as Hiroshi Araki joined the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo following a family illness...
World Premiering as part of Sheffield Doc/Fest’s Digital Edition in the Ghosts And Apparitions selection. Festival to run from June 10 – July 10
On March 20th, 1995 Atsushi Sakahara was one of over 6,000 people injured in the attack on the Tokyo metro by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, which still operates and recruits today. In his debut film, the documentary Me And The Cult Leader, Sakahara embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator.
The two men are around the same age, grew up in the same region, and attended the same university, but their lives diverged dramatically in the late 80s as Hiroshi Araki joined the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo following a family illness...
- 6/22/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
The 1995 Tokyo metro sarin gas terrorist attack by the cult Aum (currently Aleph) has been one of the most shattering events in Japan’s modern history, with its implications and consequences for the 6,000+ people that were injured still being very significant. Director Atsushi Sakahara was among the injured, suffered lifelong damage and post-traumatic stress disorder, and managed his recovery in a number of ways, including being rather vocal about the event, both to the press and through his podcast, “Before After Aum”.
For “Me and the Cult Leader”, Sakahara embarks on a trip around the country with Hiroshi Araki, who is in charge of PR for Aum/Aleph, asking all these questions anyone would like to ask, and even more that have resulted from his personal experience and his deep thoughts on the matter. The result is dramatic, shocking, but also extremely sincere. It is also worth mentioning that the...
For “Me and the Cult Leader”, Sakahara embarks on a trip around the country with Hiroshi Araki, who is in charge of PR for Aum/Aleph, asking all these questions anyone would like to ask, and even more that have resulted from his personal experience and his deep thoughts on the matter. The result is dramatic, shocking, but also extremely sincere. It is also worth mentioning that the...
- 6/21/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
On 20 March 1995, 12 people died, 50 were severely injured and over a thousand suffered other forms of trauma when deadly sarin nerve gas was released on the Tokyo underground. More than 200 members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult were subsequently arrested and 13 of them, including its guru, Shoko Asahara, who had apparently hoped that the attack would bring about the apocalypse and thus end the torment of karma, were executed. Others, bearing no clear responsibility for the crimes, were released back into the community, some after serving short prison sentences. Amongst these people was Hiroshi Araki, who is now one of the highest ranking members of the cult to remain at large.
In this documentary, survivor Atsushi Sakahara, who has suffered lasting health problems as a result of the attack, spends time with him, visiting places that are important to them both, talking, and trying to uncover...
In this documentary, survivor Atsushi Sakahara, who has suffered lasting health problems as a result of the attack, spends time with him, visiting places that are important to them both, talking, and trying to uncover...
- 6/18/2020
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Director Atsushi Sakahara’s Me and the Cult Leader will make its world premiere as part of Sheffield Doc/Festival’s Digital Edition. The documentary will debut as a Ghosts and Apparitions selection. The Festival runs until July 10. Me and the Cult Leader chronicles a doomsday cult’s attack on Tokyo’s subway system. It was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in the postwar era. Sakahara was one of the victims. He comes to find he has unlikely company.
On March 20th, 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo cult executed a coordinated attack on five trains in the Tokyo subway system. The group released a toxic nerve gas on the Tokyo metro during rush-hour. The gas killed 13 people and injured over 6,000, including Sakahara. In his debut film, Me And The Cult Leader, he “embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator,...
On March 20th, 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo cult executed a coordinated attack on five trains in the Tokyo subway system. The group released a toxic nerve gas on the Tokyo metro during rush-hour. The gas killed 13 people and injured over 6,000, including Sakahara. In his debut film, Me And The Cult Leader, he “embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator,...
- 6/14/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
"Why does he still believe?" An official trailer has debuted out of the Sheffield Doc Fest taking place in the UK (online) this month for a film called Me and the Cult Leader, originally titled Aganai: The Cult Leader and Me. In 1995, Tokyo was attacked by a doomsday cult known as "Aum". They left packets of sarin gas on subway trains in the city. One of the people injured, Atsushi Sakahara, has decided to make a film about Aum and who they really are. Sakahara meets with and travels with Hiroshi Araki, an executive of Aleph (formerly Aum Shinrikyo), visiting their own hometowns and the university they both attended. Conversations unfold, building intimacy: we learn why Araki joined the infamous organization led by Shoko Asahara and why, still, Araki remains an executive member of the cult, even though he was not directly involved in any of the crimes. The beginning of a friendship,...
- 6/12/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Atsushi Sakahara, a survivor of the sarin gas attacks in Tokyo, unveils his documentary account of the Aum Shinrikyo cult and its continuing activities in “Me and the Cult Leader – A Modern Report on the Banality of Evil.” The film is expected to have its world premiere later this month at the U.K.’s digital Sheffield International Documentary Festival.
The film follows Sakahara, who has been outspoken over the years following his presence at and resulting injury from the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo metro system on March 20, 1995. The doomsday cult which perpetrated the attack is still active and recruiting. In the film Sakahara connects with a leading executive of the cult Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator. Araki’s life shares many parallels with Sakahara’s, and together they chronicle a moving portrait of humanity and reflection.
“Me And The Cult...
The film follows Sakahara, who has been outspoken over the years following his presence at and resulting injury from the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo metro system on March 20, 1995. The doomsday cult which perpetrated the attack is still active and recruiting. In the film Sakahara connects with a leading executive of the cult Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator. Araki’s life shares many parallels with Sakahara’s, and together they chronicle a moving portrait of humanity and reflection.
“Me And The Cult...
- 6/9/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
On March 20th, 1995 Atsushi Sakahara was one of over 6,000 people injured in the attack on the Tokyo metro by the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, who still operate and recruit today. In his upcoming documentary, “Aganai: The Cult Leader And Me” he embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator.
Now, on the anniversary of the tragic event, and amidst the current global climate and with the future of film festivals uncertain, Sakahara has pre-launched “Before / After Aum” to share a story of resilience with the world. He hosts the podcast that will cover post-war Japan, the rise of doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo and its leader Shoko Asahara, the events leading up to the attack, how the government has treated victims, and more. Today, both a teaser for the doc and a trailer for the podcast are released,...
Now, on the anniversary of the tragic event, and amidst the current global climate and with the future of film festivals uncertain, Sakahara has pre-launched “Before / After Aum” to share a story of resilience with the world. He hosts the podcast that will cover post-war Japan, the rise of doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo and its leader Shoko Asahara, the events leading up to the attack, how the government has treated victims, and more. Today, both a teaser for the doc and a trailer for the podcast are released,...
- 3/21/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Explores aftermath of 1995 Tokyo gas attack.
Hong Kong-based sales outfit Good Move Media is handling international sales on Japanese documentary The Atonement (Aganai), which explores the aftermath of the 1995 Tokyo sarin gas terrorist attack.
The director of the film, Atsushi Sakahara, was one of the 6,000 people injured in the attack on the Tokyo metro by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, which also killed 13 people. In his feature-length documentary, he embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator.
After being injured in the attack, Sakahara moved to the Us...
Hong Kong-based sales outfit Good Move Media is handling international sales on Japanese documentary The Atonement (Aganai), which explores the aftermath of the 1995 Tokyo sarin gas terrorist attack.
The director of the film, Atsushi Sakahara, was one of the 6,000 people injured in the attack on the Tokyo metro by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, which also killed 13 people. In his feature-length documentary, he embarks on a journey with the cult’s executive, Hiroshi Araki, to record the parallel experiences of a victim and perpetrator.
After being injured in the attack, Sakahara moved to the Us...
- 2/10/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.