When you’re young, life passes by at a blistering pace and friends and lovers come and go in a blink of an eye. Every day is all about living in the moment and finding the next party to go to. Finding a way to follow your dreams and not worrying too much about what will happen tomorrow. This hedonistic existence isn’t open to everyone but those given the chance tend to grab it with both hands. Chiwawa captures that moment but also what happens when the music stops.
Nagai (Nijirô Murakami) is making a film and a group of friends congregate around this endeavour. However, one day Yoshida (Ryô Narita) brings his new girlfriend Chiwawa
(Shiori Yoshida) to the club and all their lives change forever. She leaves a lasting mark on all of them. After her dismembered body is discovered in Tokyo Bay, Mika (Mugi Kadowaki) begins a journey through their interconnecting relationships.
Chiwawa is a chaotic, glitzy and colourful film about youth, relationships and the effect each of us has on those we interact with. Ken Ninomiya’s film is about a person whose desperate need for popularity eventually ends ul being her downfall. Whilst the party lasts, it’s a heck of a ride, but when it’s over, everything comes crashing down. Chiwawa is a thoughtful and touching drama wrapped in a lively and flashy mystery.
Chiwawa screens again at Fantasia Festival 2019 on 15 July.
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