Who's Camus Anyway? (2006 Film)

Who's Camus Anyway? (Japanese: カミュなんて知らない, Hepburn: Kamyu nante shiranai) is a 2006 Japanese drama film directed and written by Mitsuo Yanagimachi. The film explores the lives of students within a university film workshop as they attempt to produce a project titled The Bored Murderer.

Plot

Set on a Tokyo university campus, the narrative follows a group of students in the literature department's film workshop. As they prepare to shoot their curriculum project, The Bored Murderer, the production faces a crisis when the lead actor abruptly quits. The team must scramble to find a replacement while managing their own interpersonal conflicts and romantic entanglements.

The film centers on the director, Matsukawa, and his assistant, Hisada, as they navigate the pressures of filmmaking and their personal lives. Tensions rise due to Matsukawa's strained relationship with his girlfriend, Yukari, and the unpredictable behavior of Ikeda, the student cast as the lead. Meanwhile, the group's professor, Nakajo, maintains a facade of professional support while harboring personal desires for a student named Rei, who is pursuing her own agenda.

Production

The film was directed by Mitsuo Yanagimachi, who also wrote the screenplay. It was produced by Kazuo Shimizu, with cinematography by Junichi Fujisawa. The film features an ensemble cast including Shuji Kashiwabara, Hinano Yoshikawa, Ai Maeda, and Meisa Kuroki. It was released in Japan on January 14, 2006, with a runtime of 115 minutes.