Hyururu... 1985
Is this fiction or reality? The filmmaker himself suddenly appears on screen with his real name, and the process of making a film with his friends is described. There are casual, everyday conversations with a girl who…
A playful, meta-cinematic time capsule, Hyururu... 1985 blurs the line between fiction and autobiography. Director Hashiguchi Ryosuke appears as himself, documenting the chaotic, tender process of making a film with his friends in mid-80s Japan. Through casual, overheard conversations with a girl and quiet moments between young men, the film constructs a dreamy, slice-of-life portrait of queer desire, artistic frustration, and the fleeting magic of youth. Never a conventional romance, it’s more a poetic meditation on what it means to capture love on camera—and to live it off-screen. An early, rare gem of Japanese LGBTQ+ cinema that feels both utterly raw and deeply nostalgic.