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As mentioned many times before, the pandemic forced (or even inspired one could say) a number of filmmakers to shoot quarantine films, productions that had to implement all the restrictions government laws dictated. Anshul Chauhan returns to Japan Cuts after winning the inaugural Obayashi Prize, with his own quarantine short, which is definitely a level higher than the plethora of similar titles in terms of production values.

“Leo’s Return” is screening at Japan Cuts

The short begins in a car, where Nobu is passing some pills to Akane, which are soon revealed to be for her to undergo an abortion, since she is actually living with her boyfriend, Leo, an actor who is just returning to Japan following the cancellation of his film. As Akane is leaving, she makes sure of stating that she is not yet sure regarding the abortion. A bit later, a frustrated Leo arrives to their house,...

Stars: Saya Minami, Kenji Shimada, Kaori Kawabuchi, Kei Miura, Nozomi de Lencquesaing, Yoji Yamada, Sawa Masaki, Yasunari Kondo, Ten Miyazawa, Yûki Kuroda, Dylan Davies Tanaka, Dylan Heath, Ayumu Kawashima, Yumiko Dunk | Written by Bill Clare, Addison Heath, Dylan Heath, Jasmine Jakupi | Directed by Addison Heath, Jasmine Jakupi

I’ll be honest, I’m a Huge fan of writer/director Addison Heath’s work – from his script for Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla; to his fantastic directorial debut Under a Kaleidoscope (which I reviewed back in 2014 when it screened at that years MonsterFest); to his most recent film, the superb genre-bending Monda Yakuza; I have enjoyed each and ever one of his movies to no end. So how excited am I for with his latest opus, The Viper’s Hex, another film inspired by Far East cinema? Let’s just say a Lot!

Whilst his previous film, Mondo Yakuza, was clearly inspired by...