Queer Japan is a gay travelogue in far away Asia, filmmaker Graham Kolbeins goes to various cities, from Tokyo and Osaka to Kyoto and Okinawa, talking to dozen principal subjects.
Each represents a different aspect of queer lifestyle–hentai— in Japanese, a word that denotes unconventional sexual desires or practices.
We observe trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to live unconventional lives in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ culture in contemporary Japan.
The subjects inlude figures like legendary erotic manga artist Gengoroh Tagame and Japan’s first openly transgender elected official, Aya Kamikawa.
The docu ventures into underground hentai parties and phantasmagoric drag shows, allowing viewers to experience a dazzling rainbow of exhilarating expressions and uncompromised culture rarely seen in the Western world.
Director Bio
Graham Kolbeins is a filmmaker, writer, and designer living in Los Angeles. He’s the director of the short film The House of Gay Art and the documentary Rad Queers, which focuses on artists and activists from across the LGBTQ spectrum; both played at film festivals, including Outfest and Frameline.