NISHIHARA Takashi
IP
The Japanese Communist Party has the longest history in Japan. With the LDP's unprecedented long-term ruling system solidified, the Japanese Communist Party is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The film follows the election campaigns of the party's young politicians, activists and supporters, and listens to their concerns and hopes. And asks. Can the Japanese Communist Party be an alternative to established politics? Can deep-rooted sexism and discrimination against minorities be addressed? What will the grassroots politics that has been pursued thus far look like in the future?
Nishihara Takashi, a director who has drawn stories of contemporary Japanese youth through documentary and feature films, meets people who have committed to political party activities in One Hundred Years and Hope: Ikeuchi Saori, an advocate for gender diversity and anti-discrimination that serves the House of Representatives; and Ikegawa Yuichi, a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly who has worked hard to promote student rights. The two politicians and the young men he met are all members of the Japanese Communist Party. The Japanese Communist Party has survived the historical upheaval surrounding its ideology and the unprecedented long-term regime of the LDP, and is close to celebrating its 100th anniversary. While portraying political activities of political parties, One Hundred Years and Hope does not devote much to political engineering analysis or criticism of the authorized parties. Instead, it focuses on capturing the sincerity of those who want to create a different world in Japan, which suffers from the lowest level of gender equality index and chronic economic inequality. In the image of young activists who are moving forward with worries and hopes at the same time, you can also find a portrait of director Nishihara Takashi who fiercely and faithfully pursues the belief that the society needs to change.
NISHIHARA Takashi
Born in 1983 in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. His first feature film, Starting Over, was an official selection of Tokyo International Film Festival 2014. His first documentary feature film, About My Liberty, was selected for Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2017.