# ‘Alice in Borderland’ Star Isomura Hayato on the Role He Was Warned Off, Judging Tokyo’s Ethical Film Award and Why Japanese Cinema Needs Government Backing

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/alice-in-borderland-star-isomura-hayato-on-the-role-he-was-warned-off-judging-tokyos-ethical-film-award-and-why-japanese-cinema-needs-government-backing/
- Published: 2026-11-03T10:47:29+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T11:36:20+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/alice-in-borderland-star-isomura-hayato-role-warned-off-1236938269/
- Topics: Art, Asia, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Film, Government, Politics, Space, Technology, World

## Key points

- Isomura took a role others warned could hurt his career.
- His festival jury chose a drama set against Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- He says Japanese cinema needs more political satire and government support.

## Summary

Isomura Hayato says he accepted a challenging role in the drama “The Moon” despite warnings that its subject, a real incident at a facility for people with disabilities, could harm his career. The performance won him a Japan Academy Film Prize, and his interest in socially difficult material also shaped his work as a juror for the Ethical Film Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

The jury chose “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming”, a German drama linking gender with Russia’s war in Ukraine, after close deliberations with the Brazilian animation “Amadeo”. Isomura says the film introduced him to perspectives on war that feel distant in Japan, and that student jurors also considered whether a film offered hope. He argues Japanese cinema could make more room for political satire and black humour, and says the industry needs government backing.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.