Hideki is a man who can't quite find his place in the world. He's a mid-level executive at a financial firm in Japan. He's had minor success at his job and has been in a long-term relationship that he can't quite commit to.
Hideki is the main character in Tokyo Cowboy, directed by Marc Marriott and part of this year's SLO International Film Festival's narrative feature film program that promises a powerful exploration of the human experience.
Director: Marc Marriott
Writers: Dave Boyle, Ayako Fujitani
Stars: Arata Iura, Robin Weigert, Goya Robles
In an effort to impress his bosses (including his fiancée, who is his supervisor), Hideki heads to Montana convinced that he can turn a profitless American cattle ranch into a top-notch asset. The communication gap, both professional and personal, between Hideki and the ranch workers becomes immediately apparent as he struggles to navigate this new world.
Once Hideki realizes that he needs to understand the background of the situation and the ranchers, he does his best to adapt and learn both American cattle ranching culture and the English language.
Adapting and finding his place isn't without its fun challenges. For example, he tries to learn to ride a horse and the first thing he does is end up in the mud. The friendly ranch hand who used to be a rodeo star lends Hideki a formal rodeo suit that he looks ridiculous in. And the locals make fun of him for his clothes.
After meeting the crew and being asked about his plans in Japan and the U.S., he finds that he has more in common with the ranchers than he thought. He also realizes that he can combine what he knows about finance with the locals' experience to form a better team.
His journey of self-discovery also includes discovering that he hasn't taken into account what his fiancée wants and he resolves to do better.
Written by Dave Boyle and Akaya Fujitani, this is truly an international film. The first part is set in Japan with English subtitles. It then takes place in Montana and combines Japanese and English speech.
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