Uzumasa (Kyoto) is considered the Hollywood of Japan.
It has produced many “jidaigeki” films (period dramas with sword fighting) that are loved by many Japanese, and are highly praised all over the world. These films wouldn’t be what they were if it weren’t for the “kirareyaku” (actors whose main job is to be killed by the lead star). Men who are killed, without ever being lit by the limelight…
This story is about those men, the unsung heroes of classic jidaigeki films. They loved and respected the art, even when the production of classic jidaigeki films began to dwindle. Using Charlie Chaplin’s film “Limelight” as an underlying theme, the admirable story of these men dealing with a new generation and fading craftsmanship is told with melancholy and soul.
RANTARO MINE MICHIHIRO KINOSHITA YOSHIYUKI SHIBATA KAZUAKI TAI
BOYLE NAKAJIMA SHOGEN SHIZUKA NAKAMURA ANNA KAWASHIMA
HIDEKAZU ICHINOSE HONOKA ISHIBASHI YUDAI UENISHI
HANA EBISE CHINU IZUMI TOKIKO SATO
NAOHIKO WASHIO MIKOTO TOMIKO UENO MASAHIRO KOBORI
YU SUHO TOSHIHIKO KIDO HAKU NISHIMOTO
TAKESHI SHIRO SHUNJI TAKAHASHI
TAKASHI NISHINA TORU KAZAMA SADAO NAKAJIMA ASAHI KURIZUKA
CREW:
Producer: KO MORI, SHOHEI SANO
Executive Producer: NOBUHISA KAWABATA
Director of Photography: CHRIS FREILICH
Composer: NOBUKO TODA, KAZUMA JINNOUCHI
Editor: CHIEKO SUZAKI
Co-producer: TAKAHIRO HAMANO
Production Producer: SATOSHI MASHIDA
Production Manager: YASUTO TAKEMURA
Line producer: YOSUKE MORI
Art Direction: TAKASHI YOSHIDA
Lighting: AKIO YAMANAKA
Sound: MOTOTSUGU HAYASHI
Assistant Director: YUSUKE NAKAGAWA
Action Choreographer: MITSUHIKO SEIKE
Story: NOBUYUKI OKAHARA
Writer: HIROYUKI ONO