Bird Woman
Directed by Tokio Oohara
Japan
Tokyo is suffering from a once-in-a-century pandemic. Yet the morning commuter trains are as crowded as ever. Toki is fed up with the suffocation of the mask covering her mouth, and the men who take advantage of the fact that their face is hidden by the mask to molest her. One morning, Toki orders a Bird mask from a friend who makes masks of animals, and when she puts it on and gets on the train, she does something unexpected. This immediately becomes a topic of conversation on social media, and the image spreads like a virus.
Tokio is a filmmaker, producer and actor with an interest in women's social stories. Her short film Bird Woman (2022), which she produced and directed, was selected in competition at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival and some other international film festivals.
The Woman series created subsequently has also continued to be screened at international film festivals. Her omnibus film "Dear Dolls" (2023/83 min), which she produced, is currently being shown in cinemas throughout Japan. Board member of the Independent Cinema Guild of Japan (Eiga-nabe) since 2022.