THE WITCHES OF THE ORIENT

DOC. | JAPANESE, FRENCH | 100 MIN

Meet the former players of the Japanese women’s volleyball team. Now in their 70s, they used to be known as the ‘Witches of the Orient’ because of their seemingly supernatural powers on the courts.

From the formation of the squad in the late 1950s as a workers’ team at a textile factory, right up until their triumph at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, their memories and true magic from long ago bubble up into a heady brew where fact and fable fly hand in hand.

DIRECTOR Julien Faraut
COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION France

 

“VIBRANT DOCUMENTARY
★★★★

— THE FINANCIAL TIMES

 

“The joy of the Witches’ success is infectious … exactly like what our weary world needs right now”

— MoMA

 

“solid crowd-pleaser elevated by Faraut's experimental streak”

— SCREEN INTERNATIONAL

“UNUSUAL, ENIGMATIC SPORTS FILMS”
★★★★

— THE GUARDIAN

 

“electrifying … training scene set to Portishead’s Machine Gun [is A] glorious highlight”

— WHITLOCK & HOPE, IFFR Top 5 Films

 

“fascinating portrait of the emblematic, collective strength of character shown by these endearing women”

— CINEUROPA

FESTIVALS + AWARDS

 

IFFR 2021 - Official Selection
Big Screen Competition

FIPADOC 2021 - Official Selection
French Documentary Competition

Sheffield Doc Fest 2021 - Official Selection
Rhyme & Rhythm Programme

MoMA (NYC) Doc Fortnight 2021
Official Selection