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TIFF Picks 09: Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Symbol

In North America, Hitoshi Matsumoto became a household name for the fifty, or so people who’ve seen the brilliant Dai Nipponjin. Call him an auteur/mad genius/comic marvel, the teaser below might not shed enough light on what to expect, but I’m ready to bet it’ll linger on way past the film’s run time.

Eric Lavallée

Published on September 3, 2009

#23. SYMBOL

Director/Cast: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Distributor: Rights Available.

Buzz: In North America, Hitoshi Matsumoto became a household name for the fifty, or so people who’ve seen the brilliant Dai Nipponjin. Call him an auteur/mad genius/comic marvel, the teaser below might not shed enough light on what to expect, but I’m ready to bet it’ll linger on way past the film’s run time. I’m hoping that Magnet continues their run with the filmmaker.

The Gist: Japanese comedy superstar Hitoshi Matsumoto stars in and directs this absurd and outlandish comedy about a man trying to escape a unique dilemma. Read the TIFF description for more.

TIFF Schedule: Click here for screening times

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Eric Lavallée

Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).