The Witches of the Orient

Dir. Julien Faraut, 2021, France, 100min, Color
Starring Katsumi Chiba, Kinuko Idogawa, Yoshiko Kanda, Yuriko Nakajima, Yoko Tamura
In French and Japanese with English subtitles

Filmmaker Julien Faraut’s documentary explores the thrilling story of a group of textile factory workers who joined together to become a legendary Japanese women’s volleyball team, and the pride of their nation. Intercutting manga and anime sequences, archival footage of competitive matches and intense training sessions, interviews with the now-octogenarian teammates, and an electric score by French musician K-Raw, Faraut charts the group’s incredible rise and inspiring spirit—from their severe sessions with grueling coach Hirofumi Daimatsu (known throughout the country as “Demon Daimatsu”) to their 258-game winning streak to claiming the gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.