SYNCOPE

 Domingo, 9 de noviembre de 2025: 

 In the afternoon, I watched the following film in my Japanese-style room (Washitsu).

 It was recorded on an external hard drive connected to a DIGA (made in 2017). It will be broadcast on BS12 from 9:05 PM on November 8, 2025.

 SATURDAY SHORT THEATER "SYNCOPE" (Switzerland, 2023, 21-minute feature, original English with Japanese subtitles).

 A crazed director who has become an "artistic demon" in pursuit of the perfect success of his own artistic expression, and dancers who dedicate themselves to surviving in the world of theater.

 From an outsider's perspective, the director's actions are criminal acts that constitute assault, coercion, and confinement, and are pathological behavior that cannot be justified.

 Repeated punching of the chest and stomach is extremely dangerous, and it is questionable how necessary it is in the pursuit of "artistic" expression.

 Because it is carried out under psychological coercion, it is not an act that can be justified (or its illegality eliminated) as "self-harm" or "consent of the victim."

 The problem (the theme of this film, the issue it raises) is that the victims are prevented from speaking out.

 An outsider cannot know whether it is because they are pursuing their dreams, or for practical purposes such as status, fame, or income, or because they are placed in a state of psychological coercion in an overwhelming relationship of dominance and submission, or whether it is some kind of addictive relationship.

 If we define art here as the "realism" that arises when people work desperately, risking their lives, in Japan it brings to mind the sword-fighting scenes in period dramas.

 Some time ago, in Japan, during the filming of a period drama, when the director was forcing the actors to use real Japanese swords instead of imitation swords, one actor killed another actor with a single blow. The director's "excuse" was published in newspapers at the time.

 Perhaps it was the same psychology as the young stage director who appears in the film mentioned above.

 It's not uncommon in Japan for a theater director to use violence against troupe members during rehearsals. You might think, "There are directors like that in every country, to some extent."

 However, what's unique about Japan is that these violent directors often receive public praise precisely because of their violent acts. I won't mention any names here, but even a nationally famous director (now deceased) proudly admitted to verbally abusing and physically assaulting troupe members during rehearsals. No one spoke out against this barrage of verbal abuse and violence (or, more accurately, no "voices" existed; they were muted), and everyone cheered (or, more accurately, they only made it seem that way. Perhaps it was because they were receiving money from sponsors, theater company managers, and other related parties... I'm not sure).

 I felt a strong sense of discomfort toward such "Japanese people."

 The above situation is not limited to the entertainment and sports in Japan (a surge in complaints of power harassment occurred just before the Tokyo Olympics), but is a phenomenon that is seen all too often in all fields.