Yuwaku 3 (J 2006, 35 min, DV 24p)

Written and directed by Roger Walch
Starring: Nigel Randell (Michael), Yoshiko Matsuda (Kiyo), Shigeyoshi Abe (Lover)

REVIEW of Yuwaku 3 by Matt Kaufman (Hollywood Japan File, Kansai Time Out Magazine 09/2006):

"We've all heard the urban legend about a guy who walks into a bar, blacks out and ends up in an alley with stitches where his appendix used to be.
Michael (Nigel Randell) is a burned-out English teacher in Kyoto who is taken to a seedy dive-bar filled with surreal characters right out of a modern Alice in Wonderland. He meets a mysterious woman named Kiyo (Yoshiko Matsuda) who seems to be in a hurry to seduce him. Swiss filmmaker Roger Walch ("Lost Island") does an impressive job of capturing the distinct flavor of underground culture in Kyoto such as the performance art group Shinbun Onna who do fascinating things with newspapers. There's also Bar Hachimonjiya, a watering hole filled with books and junk that looks like it hasn't changed since beatniks lived in Kyoto. Yuwaku 3 is the last part of a trilogy that deals with seduction in Japan. More information at rowmuse com ."

SYNOPSIS

Michael is an English teacher at a language school in Japan. His girlfriend just left him, he is bored with his work and his life in general is not fulfilling. One day he bumps into a strange man on his way back from work. The man persuades him to go to a bar. When Michael goes there, he finds himself in a shady place with a strange atmoshpere, full of mysterious people. There he gets to know Kiyo, a regular in the bar who seduces him.
But she keeps a big secret from him: She has a mature lover who is very sick. In order to save her ailing lover she actually needs Michael.

"Yuwaku 3" is the third and last part of Roger Walch's short film trilogy on the theme of seduction ("Yuwaku" in Japanese). The film was entirely shot on location in Kyoto and Shiga (Japan) with a Japanese and English cast.