West North West (2015)

Petition to abolish lesbian movies written and directed by men

“This is Japan. Nobody is watching,” Kei says, while very conveniently ignoring the fact that she can't even afford to think of herself a lesbian for fear of being shunned by Japanese society.

This film is a public service announcement that, while compulsory heterosexuality and state-sanctioned homophobia are very much alive and kicking, you can't blame all of your self-sabotaging behaviours on them. At some point you have to decide what choices need to be made so you can live with yourself and deal with the consequences of your own actions like a functioning adult. Awful, I know.

But hopefully if you watch this film early enough in life, you'll learn not to choose the toxic jealous Islamophobic girlfriend who's one mental breakdown away from commiting a murder-suicide and taking you out with her. Also, beware to not accidentally become a repressed lesbian's manic pixie dream girl, because she will ruin your life.

P.S. Trigger warning for an extremely unnecessary (and completely optional!) scene of a man beating the shit out of a woman. This is when you check the credits and realise that, ah yes, of course the director is a man.

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