Watching from Behind

Director: MATSUBARA Akira, SASAKI Yumi

1998

Japanese

Subtitled in English

Color

Video

30 min

Production Company: Video Press Producer: Video Press Photography: MATSUBARA Akira Editing: MATSUBARA Akira, SASAKI Yumi Music: MURAKAMI Eiji Sound:

International Sales: VIDEO ACT! Phone: Fax: 81-3-3711-5639 E-mail: yt_w-tv@st.rim.or.jp

[Festivals and prizes] Seoul Labor Media Festival ’98, Yamagata IDFF ’99, other labor media festivals

[Synopsis] Psychological stress is used as a way to manipulate former union workers of the national railway.
Eleven years have been passed since the Japanese national railway was broken up, privatized, and name-changed to JR. Former union members who are still fighting the unjust treatment and firing of workers are forced to work under stressful conditions. One example as shown in this film is the JR department in charge of maintaining vending machines on train platforms. The management puts those workers under strict surveillance, the details which are absurd, surreal and even laughable.