The Kumamoto Dormitory

Born and raised in Kumamoto, Mine Goichi went to Tama Art University and spent four student years living in the Yuhigakusha Dormitory in Tokyo, a rather basic home-away-from-home for kids from Kumamoto. It’s not much of a stretch to see The Kumamoto Dormitory as a piece of disguised autobiography, shot through with documentary elements. It centres on two slackers in the dorm: Daikichi (played by Mine himself) wants to be a movie stunt-man, while his friend Tenshi (Iida Kaoru, who also acts in All Day) is an aspiring director. But the films they talk about while drinking are never going to get made, and Daikichi’s one-night-stand with a girl who believed his bullshit jeopardizes his most daring stunt: a jump from a rooftop with his feet tied.

Directed by Gôichi Mine, The Kumamoto Dormitory leans on a strong ensemble — Gôichi Mine, Kaoru Iida — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2012.