Photograph by Jeff Harris.

Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.

Translator: Aki Takabatake

The Gesuidouz are a punk band in Tokyo. Hanako is the band’s leader and vocalist,  the only woman in the group. There’s Ryuzo on bass, Masao who wears a fright wig on guitar, and blonde mohican Santarou on drums, who doubles as the band’s cook. They write their own music and lyrics, perform live and have released a dvd album. The only problem is… they’re terrible! There’s no tune, rhythm or meaning to these songs, just a lot of incoherent noise. Almost no loyal fans and their discs are still sitting in cardboard boxes. Their manager issues an ultimatum: he’ll find them a house in the country to live in, but if they can’t write and release a hit single in time, this band is finished. What will become of The Gesuidouz?

The Gesuidouz is a Japanese punk-music comedy that reinvents the rock movie. It’s the work of indie filmmaker Ugana Kenichi. His fantasy films have screened at festivals worldwide, including Slamdance, Porto and many others.

I spoke with Uganda Kenichi in a room at the Hyatt Hotel during the Toronto International Film Festival, where The Gesuidozus had its World Premiere.