Watching from Behind
(“Haimen kanshi”)- Director: MATSUBARA Akira, SASAKI Yumi
1998 Japanese Subtitled in English Color Video 30 min
Production Company: Video Press
Producer: Video Press
Photography: MATSUBARA Akira
Editing: MATSUBARA Akira, SASAKI Yumi
Music: MURAKAMI Eiji
Sound:International Sales: VIDEO ACT!
Phone:
Fax: 81-3-3711-5639
E-mail: yt_w-tv@st.rim.or.jp
[Festivals and prizes] Seoul Labor Media Festival ’98, Yamagata IDFF ’99, other labor media festivals
[Synopsis] Psychological stress is used as a way to manipulate former union workers of the national railway.
Eleven years have been passed since the Japanese national railway was broken up, privatized, and name-changed to JR. Former union members who are still fighting the unjust treatment and firing of workers are forced to work under stressful conditions. One example as shown in this film is the JR department in charge of maintaining vending machines on train platforms. The management puts those workers under strict surveillance, the details which are absurd, surreal and even laughable.
| MATSUBARA Akira SASAKI Yumi Recycling Garbage (awarded at Earth Vision ’95) |
• MATSUBARA Akira, SASAKI Yumi | Watching from Behind | Be More Human—Kokuro’s 15-Year Struggle |