Eiichi once dreamed of becoming a professional shogi (Japanese chess) player. He abandoned his dream after losing repeatedly to powerhouse player Riku. Now in university, Eiichi devotes himself to creating a new, stronger shogi computer programme. Which leads him to once again challenge Riku, but now in a man versus machine match. Chess has never been as thrilling as in this sports film that defies the conventions of the genre.
Eiichi droomde er ooit van om professioneel shogi (Japans schaken) te spelen. Maar hij liet zijn droom varen, nadat hij herhaaldelijk verloor van de veel sterkere speler Riku. Nu op de universiteit weidt Eiichi zich aan de creatie van een nieuw shogi computerprogramma. Waardoor hij opnieuw tegenover Riku komt te staan, maar nu in een wedstrijd tussen mens en machine. Schaken was nog nooit zo spannend als in deze sportfilm die genreconventies omzeilt.
YAMADA Atsuhiro 山田篤宏 started his studies in Tokyo, but dropped out of university. Instead, he went to New York and enrolled at NYU to study English and Film. Back in Japan, he established a track record in music videos and short films. He made his commercial debut with Awake, which was selected out of 241 submissions to win the first Kinoshita Group New Director Award Grand Prix.
2020 – Awake
2010 – Happy End ハッピーエンド