ULTIMATE DOCS COMPETITION

THE GREAT HAPPINESS SPACE – TALE OF AN OSAKA LOVE THIEF

USA/UK, 2006, 75 min., Japanese

Director: Jake Clennell
Producer: Jake Clennell
Cinematography: Jake Clennell
Editing: Hisayo Kushida
Music: Robert Coyne
Sound: Evan Benjamin
Production company: Jake Clennell Productions
Print Source:
Jake Clennell
Jake Clennell Productions
130 Water Street
Apt 8J
New York, NY 10005
USA
Tel.: +1 212.514.6062
e-mail: contact@thegreathappinessspace.com
www.thegreathappinessspace.com


The Great Happiness Space – Tale of an Osaka Love Thief

This award winning documentary takes audiences behind the scenes of Osaka's Café Rakkyo, the city's most glamorous and profitable host bar. Presided over by the enigmatic Issei, not only Rakkyo's owner, but also its number one "host boy," the club offers a modern twist on the ancient Japanese geisha tradition. Here, slick and stylish male hosts entertain young female customers with money to burn by trading compliments and pick up lines for over-priced drinks and in-demand quality one-on-one time. To the denizens of this secret society, mostly made up of showgirls and prostitutes, an escape from their everyday lives complete with the heart-warming attention of a good looking guy is just a dollar away. But as this absorbing film suggests through poignant interviews with Issei's co-workers and committed regular customers, the line between work and life is easily blurred once emotional attachments are formed. And the real toll of all night parties and expensive bottles of champagne are more than most Rakkyo regulars can bare.

Jake Clennell has worked extensively as a director of photography, shooting everything from hostage negotiations in Iraq and President Clinton on the campaign trail to music superstar Bob Dylan and magician David Blaine. While shooting two projects in Japan - Kokoyakyu, a documentary about a high school baseball program for PBS and Somewhere in the Middle, a dramatic feature for director Rikki Kasso - Clennell became interested in Osaka's night life.

Filmography:

The Great Happiness Space – Tale of an Osaka Love Thief (2006), directorial debut; Best Feature Documentary Award at the Edinburgh IFF 2006.

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