The Japan Council of the University of Pittsburgh and SCREENSHOT: ASIA will present the documentary An Ant Strikes Back (アリ地獄天国), Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award, on September 26. The online screening begins at 7:00 pm, followed by a conversation with director Tokachi Tsuchiya. A synopsis, from Nippon Connection:
More than 5,000 people died from the ramifications of overworking in Japan between 2006 and 2017 – and this is only the official number. Rarely do Japanese employees stand up against exploitative working conditions, since the social pressure is too high. In his documentary, Tokachi TSUCHIYA follows the case of a moving company sales agent who decides to no longer accept illegal employment contract clauses and a humiliating work environment. Initially being just like an ant among others, he joins a labor union and fights not only for his own rights, but for the rights of all “ants” in Japan’s workforce.The free event will be hosted live on Vimeo.