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Sham. Fukuoka, 2003. Elementary school teacher Yabushita Seiichi (Ayano Go) is devoted to his job. One day, he is accused by a boy’s mother, Himuro Ritsuko (Shibasaki Ko), of brutally disciplining her allegedly mixed-race son.
Despite insisting that he has no recollection of the incident and claiming it is completely untrue, Seiichi is forced by his headteacher — more concerned about the school’s reputation — to apologise publicly to the other parents.
The gesture, however, fails to end the controversy.
What makes the matter worse is a media exposé that reveals Seiichi’s real name and casts him as a national villain. As public outrage grows, Seiichi is vilified and isolated, while Ritsuko garners sympathy and rallies support for an unprecedented civil lawsuit.
Everyday life unravels as despair overwhelms Seiichi, who fiercely continues to deny Ritsuko’s claim.
Internationally acclaimed Miike Takashi transforms journalist Fukuda Masumi’s groundbreaking report, Fabrication: The Truth Behind the Fukuoka ‘Murderous Teacher’ Case, into this gripping film.
The story serves as both a social critique and a moral inquiry, challenging us to question what is real, whom to trust, and how fragile the images we create of others truly are.
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026
Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema.
The UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP),is back again. This is the place where cinema comes alive!
Knowing others—let alone ourselves—is not easy, as we behave differently depending on the relationship, environment, or even intention. In an age of advanced digital technology, where imagery can be readily manipulated, it is even harder to define who we, or others, truly are.
With these questions in mind, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 showcases some of the most unmissable Japanese films nationwide across the UK.
From powerful social crime dramas and laugh-out-loud comedies to gender-defining films, fantasy, and horror, the programme offers something for everyone.
See all our JFTFP 2026 screenings!
Co-presented by:
Supported by:
Sponsors in kind:
Ticket prices:
Standard £11.50 Concessions £10.50 Students £5.50
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Certificate: 18
Length: 144 minutes
Director: Miike Takashi
Cast: Ayano Go, Shibasaki Ko, Kamenashi Kazuya
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
Dates and times
Saturday 07 March 2026 | 2:00 pm