TEL-CLUB

In the summer of 1998, the filmmaker went home to Takasaki to film the birth of his brother and sister-in-law's child. Days go by and the child is still to be born. With time on his hands and no one to talk to, the filmmaker finds the phone number for a telephone date club, and calls up with an earnest de- sire: I'd like to talk to a girl. While following the conventions of film-diary form, at some point the filmmaker falls into a times pace tunnel of false memory.

Directed by Kenji Murakami, TEL-CLUB leans on a strong ensemble — Kenji Murakami, Yukiyasu Shimada, Rie Uematsu — 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 1998.