If you want to read my review of Familia, read this post. In ファミリア, Seiji is a lonely Japanese ceramicist who becomes fond of Marcos, a young Brazilian man trying to escape a local gang led by Kaito.
Manabu Kamiya (Ryô Yoshizawa) wanted to take over his father’s shop, abandon engineering in Algeria and start a family with Nadia (Malyka Ali) in Japan.
“She is an orphan. Her family was a victim of war when she was little.”
Seiji Kamiya (Koji Yakusho) was widowed very early in life, he was a potter and owned a studio in the mountains, but he didn’t want his son to take over the business.
“You can call them and withdraw your resignation.”
Seiji refused out of respect for his son’s profession. He believed that pottery wouldn’t put food on the table for much longer and that Manabu had to make Nadia happy.
Familia review: hangure
The Kamiya studio was near a Brazilian housing complex, where Manoel, a friend of Marcos (Lucas Sagae), had trouble with the local gang.
“He stole money from the guys’ brothel.”
Kaito Enomoto (Miyavi) was the leader of a hangure, a gang of delinquents who engage in various illegal activities. But they are not Yakuza.
“Follow him.”
Marcos managed to escape the beating from Kaito’s henchmen and ended up trying to steal Seiji’s car.
“We’re going to take care of you, so that’s enough!”
As a young man, Seiji was also an uncontrollable delinquent, who only calmed down when he met Manabu’s mother, so he let everything go without a fuss.
Despite Marcos’ reluctance, his girlfriend, Erika (Fadile Waked), invited the Kamiya family to a party in the community as a way of thanking. This brought them closer.
“The Japanese killed Marcos’ father.”
Manabu had three more months left in Algeria. In the meantime, Marcos and Seiji became friends, but Manoel was murdered and Kaito forced Marcos to traffic drugs and wanted to prostitute Erika.
Familia review: dekasegi
Japanese migration to Brazil began in the early 1900s, and today Brazil has the largest Japanese community in the world, with the two countries keeping excellent relations.
In the 1980s, some descendants began to return: Nisei, Sansei, and Yonsei. However, they are not seen as Japanese, but rather as half-Japanese or just hafu.
In some cases, they need to renew their citizenship, as if their heritage could change. This makes them and their children, even those born in Japan, victims of racism.
Why you should watch Familia
I won’t leave Familia ending explained or a download link here, but I can tell you that Koji Yakusho is one of the best Japanese actors I’ve ever seen, with Perfect Days being one of his masterpieces.
Furthermore, I am a Brazilian raised under strong influence of Japanese culture. Therefore, I speak the language, I go there every year, and I love the cuisine and music.
Familia trailer
I really feel that you will like this one. So I decided to do this Famiria review. Go ahead, immerse yourself in the story, the environment and the soundtrack.
And come back later to tell me what you think in the comments. This Japanese movie portrays a bit of the lives of mixed-race people in Japan and the difficulties they face.
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