Julien Faraut’s documentary recounts how a Japanese women’s volleyball team recruited from factory workers became national heroes in the 60s
Following the philosophical tennis documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, Julien Faraut is back with yet another unusual, enigmatic sports film, this time tracing the extraordinary journey of the undefeated Japanese national women’s volleyball team in the 1960s. Assembled from a group of factory workers, these young, initially amateur athletes went to extraordinary lengths to hone their skills, under the stern and ruthless training of head coach Hirofumi Daimatsu. Winners of the gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the team enjoyed a streak of 258 victories, earning the “witches” sobriquet abroad and inspiring a string of pop culture tributes, most notably Chikako Urano’s Attack No 1 manga series.
In retelling this stranger-than-fiction chapter of sports history, Faraut’s choice of materials ranging from interviews with surviving members of the team,...
Following the philosophical tennis documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, Julien Faraut is back with yet another unusual, enigmatic sports film, this time tracing the extraordinary journey of the undefeated Japanese national women’s volleyball team in the 1960s. Assembled from a group of factory workers, these young, initially amateur athletes went to extraordinary lengths to hone their skills, under the stern and ruthless training of head coach Hirofumi Daimatsu. Winners of the gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the team enjoyed a streak of 258 victories, earning the “witches” sobriquet abroad and inspiring a string of pop culture tributes, most notably Chikako Urano’s Attack No 1 manga series.
In retelling this stranger-than-fiction chapter of sports history, Faraut’s choice of materials ranging from interviews with surviving members of the team,...
- 7/13/2021
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
Japanese actress, voice actress and TV host Kumiko Okae (nee Kumiko Owada) died Thursday at a Tokyo hospital from pneumonia complications caused by the Covid-19 virus. She was 63. Her death was confirmed by her management office.
Okae entered the hospital on April 3 with a high fever. Her condition was complicated by radiation therapy she underwent in January after surgery for breast cancer.
Okae voiced the character of “Jenny” in the 2005 feature film Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Her voice credits include the animated 1997 movie adaptation The Dog of Flanders as Elina, and Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns (2002) as Haru’s mother, Naoko. She was also Ryouko in the 2005 live-action series adaptation of Chikako Urano’s Attack No. 1 volleyball manga.
Born in Setagaya preficture of Tokyo, Okae debuted in Tokyo Broadcasting System Television’s Omitsu in 1975. She went on to appear in many live-action series, including Ten Made...
Okae entered the hospital on April 3 with a high fever. Her condition was complicated by radiation therapy she underwent in January after surgery for breast cancer.
Okae voiced the character of “Jenny” in the 2005 feature film Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Her voice credits include the animated 1997 movie adaptation The Dog of Flanders as Elina, and Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns (2002) as Haru’s mother, Naoko. She was also Ryouko in the 2005 live-action series adaptation of Chikako Urano’s Attack No. 1 volleyball manga.
Born in Setagaya preficture of Tokyo, Okae debuted in Tokyo Broadcasting System Television’s Omitsu in 1975. She went on to appear in many live-action series, including Ten Made...
- 5/14/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
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