ゲツヨウビ
ゲツヨウビ

MONDAY MONDAY

[In Development]
 

SYNOPSIS

Staring out at the Sea of Japan, a kind old man asks a 20-something what has brought her to the majestic cliffs of Tōjinbō. Through her recounting, we are transported to the frenetic megapolis of Tokyo, where a lonely young woman is barely making ends meet in a pointless Monday-Monday cubicle existence. She is also mysteriously wearing gloves at all times.

Until… One day, an oddly-dressed androgynous teenager befriends her on the subway-platform. Invites her to meet the rest of their crew. The gang give her the once over, stopping at her gloves, agreeing that she does look cool. They're all drinking low-carb beer, full of opinions, and in the midst of a heated exchange. The new recruit asks shyly, "are you...Anarchists?” “Hell no!” in unison. “We're way more radical.”

She is initiated into their world of hijinks, and soon, finally, starts to feel a real sense of belonging and adventure. But as young radicals ideologically opposed to anything the current world has to offer, misunderstandings and betrayals inevitably throw things awry. In a misfortunate series of events, the young woman is given the proverbial boot from the gang. Alone again, she struggles to find her sense of self, and sinks into a deep depression. But she isn't giving up – she decides to take drastic action – as a show of strength, to be in control for once.

From here, we return back to the cliffs, and the old man is shocked by the final chapter of her story, revealing an unexpected but retrospectively obvious twist — something that reframes the meaning of everything that we've just heard, shining a brighter light on how deeply we really do need one another.

ゲツヨウビ  ゲツヨウビ (Monday Monday) is a phrase used to illustrate never catching a break, like a hamster on the wheel, slaving away for someone else’s gain. This is the bleak outlook for today's youth in Japan, where talk of the future has the sting of a cruel joke.

Our aim is to create a timely and timeless film that explores the mundane side effects of our hyper-connected moment; an age that leaves us feeling more disconnected than ever. We hope to dramatize the difficulties of feeling painfully plain, of longing for something more, but realizing one's life is being lived without meaning.

What sounds like a tale of existential despair is anything but. Just beneath its somber exterior is a core that is ultimately and hopelessly hopeful. A rollercoaster ride of youthful rebellion, desperately trying to draw up a blueprint for a world worthy of our dreams. A cinematic remedy to our current collective unhappiness.