Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (偶然と想像)
Ryüsuke Hamaguchi
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy tells three stories of chance and fateful encounters: a dubious love triangle that tests the limits of friendship, a tense and sensual conversation in a university office that has far-reaching consequences, and two strangers meeting each other like they've known each other their whole lives. In compelling conversations, these characters reveal the essence of themselves when confronted with the unknown in the simplest of situations. An anthology about love, passion, bonding, letting go and the magic of everyday life, which delighted critics and audiences alike at the Berlinale and was awarded the Grand Jury Prize, the Silver Bear. The wheel of fortune spins inexorably, and soon everyone discovers that what seems like a chance encounter is actually a trick of fate.
12 May 2022
18:00 h, Kino des DFF
More information
| Direction | Ryüsuke Hamaguchi |
| Country | Japan |
| Year | 2021 |
| Duration | 121 min |
| Language | Original with English Subtitles |
| Production | Paméla Diop, Jean Luc Herbulot |
| Cast | Kotone Furukawa, Ayumu Nakajima, Hyunri, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Katsuki Mori, Shouma Kai, Fusako Urabe, Aoba Kawai |
| Camera | Yukiko Iioka |
| Script | Jean Luc Herbulot, Paméla Diop |
| Sound | Akihiko Suzuki, Naoki Jono |
Winner Silberner Bär – Berlinale 2021 – Großer Preis der Jury
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About the director
One of the most exciting directors from Japanese film in recent years, Ryüsuke Hamaguchi, celebrated his festival debut in 2008. After working on a number of films, his international breakthrough came with Happy Hour in 2015, followed by Asako I&II in 2018. In 2021, besides The Wheel of Fortune, he also launched the film Drive My Car, which gave him garnered three Oscar nominations, including Best Director.
Press Reviews
„Hamaguchi’s characters have conversations that the viewer wishes they could have, the ones that get played out in front of a mirror, often kept locked away, only existing in the thoughts of daydreamers.” (Jenny Nulf, Austin Chronicle)
„With wondrous precision, the film captures the emotions of an era in a cinematic fable.” (Pedro Adrìan Zuluaga, Diario Criterio)
International Feature Film Program
