BLUE BOY TRIAL | Canadian Premiere | Toronto Japanese Film Festival

Why we picked it

Based on the true story, transgender filmmaker Iizukas remarkable film is set in 1960s Japan, a time of Olympic pride and a crackdown on public morals. Anti-prostitution laws targeted women but a legal loophole exempts male sex workers, the so-called blue boys. When police arrest the doctor performing their sex reassignment surgeries, the sensational Blue Boy Trial begins.Three transgender women, all played by trans actors, take the stand, igniting a national debate on identity and happiness. The story combines a remarkable cast with production and costume designs to recreate the 60s-era Tokyo of smoky nightclubs and bustling back alleys as well as the intense courtroom atmosphere.Half a century later, this buried history still reverberates in the lives of sexual minorities. Deeply affecting and very relevant.StarringMiyu Nakagawa, Ryo Nishikido, Kou Maehara, Ataru Nakamura, Kiyohiko Shibukawa2025 Blue Boy Trial Film Partners*No exchange or refund.*Membership will be checked at the JCCC.