Tokyo Idols

Kyoko Miyake's 2017 documentary examines idol culture in Japan. Young women singers perform in small halls, meet their fans one by one at handshake events and stream regularly online, and the film shows the economics of that arrangement in detail. At the centre is Rio, nineteen, who has reached an age counted as old in the industry and is touring cities by bicycle to keep her career going. A second line follows the fans: mostly middle-aged men who have left their jobs or arranged their lives around this following, describing their situations openly. The film judges neither the idols nor the fans, while making visible how the youth of women is turned into a product and the loneliness on both sides. Who it's for: viewers curious about Japanese society and popular culture documentary. Who it's not for: anyone wanting to stay away from the uncomfortable side of the subject; the film shows it directly.