The very definition of a renaissance man, filmmaker Werner Herzog has been making magnificent films for over half a century, spanning genres, formats and challenging the very notion of what is (or isn’t) cinema. We’ve been fans of his for a long time now, and are pleased to report his charming latest, Family Romance LLC, is another example of a master at work.
For Yuichi Ishii, romance is a business. Family, friends, followers – all are available for hire. A man is hired to impersonate the missing father of a twelve-year-old girl; a woman stages a paparazzi mob to follow her on the streets of Tokyo; a mother hires a father to stand in at her daughter’s wedding. Herzog’s latest film is a unique ‘stranger than fiction’ contemplation of loneliness and family values, inspired by the real Japanese phenomenon of companies that provide actors to imitate and impersonate the roles of friends and family members.
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Shot on location in Japan, Herzog’s docu-fiction goes behind the scenes of the Family Romance, LLC company and its clients, further blurring the boundaries of reality by casting Yuichi Ishii, the real-life owner, in the leading role.
We’re delighted to be hosting a special screening of Family Romance, LLC with Modern Films and The Ace Hotel in Shoreditch on March 20. The film will be introduced by Werner Herzog himself, and following the film, he will be in conversation after the screening with our Associate Editor, Hannah Woodhead. Tickets cost £7 and are on sale now.
