Ouendan ~Japanese Male Cheerleaders
Osuga Yasuyuki
- Japan
- 2009
- 56min
- DV
- color
Synopsis
is a compelling exploration of the cheerleading club (Ouendan) at Meiji University Junior and Senior High School. The club has developed a unique style of cheerleading by adopting militaristic discipline and hierarchical relationships. Junior members must obey any orders from their seniors. This film depicts their struggles to fit into the masculine and militaristic culture of the club and become (or fail to become) cheerleaders and "men" like their seniors. This film never loses a sense of humor and captures funny moments but it also exposes the ideal of masculinity reproduced by the Japanese education system.
Review
Director
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Osuga Yasuyuki
Osuga Yasuyuki and Negoro Tomohiro were born in Tokyo in 1985. Osuga grew up in Ibaragi Prefecture and Negoro spent his childhood in London. Both of them came back to Tokyo to receive education at an all boys’ private senior high school and had kept their interest in the macho and militaristic culture rooting in education, especially in the school sports club activities. Two filmmakers majored in documentary production in Keio University and met each other in the workshop, deciding to make a documentary on the cheerleading club of Meiji Junior and senior High school, which has the similarity with the school they used to attend. Ouendan~Japanese Male Cheerleaders (2009)
Credit
- ProducerShuhei FUJITA
- Cinematography Osuga Yasuyuki
- Editor Osuga Yasuyuki
- Sound Osuga Yasuyuki
Distributor / World Sales
Distributor/World Sales Epsilon 309, SFC, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Japan
Tel 81 80 3478 7632
E-mail shuheifu@sfc.keio.ac.jp