Chance and coincidence run through three self-contained short stories in Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (偶然と想像), Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 2021 triptych: a woman discovers her best friend is dating her ex in "Magic," a student's revenge plot against a professor turns unexpectedly intimate in "Door Wide Open," and two women reunite after twenty years only to question whether they're strangers now in "Once Again." Each story plays out almost entirely through extended, quietly electric two- or three-person dialogue, achieved through Hamaguchi's famously rigorous rehearsal process of having actors read the script dozens of times before filming begins. Made as something of a warm-up before Hamaguchi's internationally celebrated Drive My Car, the film premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, cementing his place as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary Japanese cinema. The Guardian called it ingenious, playful and sparklingly acted, while The Film Stage named it among the best films of the year. Asia Cine-Club: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021) Tuesday, August 4 | Doors: 6PM | Film: 8PM | TicTic, Phnom Penh Free Entry & Popcorn - Arrive early for sofa, bed, or beanbag seating.
