Hawaii International Film Festival 2009

Hitoshi Matsumoto (DAINIPPONJIN, HIFF 2007) is back with his second feature film SYMBOL, a mind-melting journey into the deepest realm of the imagination. A Japanese man (played by Matsumoto) wakes up alone in a brightly illuminated white room with no windows or doors. His absurd and hilarious attempts to escape the gleaming room releases random objects from the walls, creating a life-sized Mouse Trap game in which a rope, a toilet plunger and an earthenware jug full of sushi just might be the keys to his escape. A hugely popular comedian in Japan, Hitoshi Matsumoto has a finely honed, deadpan approach to absurdist humor. His exuberant and audacious sophomore effort will provoke thought, laughter and some manic head scratching. SYMBOL delivers a stunning visual feast while taking the outlandishness of each scene to dizzying heights.