Sham

Fukuoka, 2003. Elementary school teacher Seiichi Yabushita (Go Ayano) is devoted to his job. One day, he is accused by a boy’s mother, Ritsuko Himuro (Ko Shibasaki), of brutally disciplining her allegedly mixed-race son.

As public outrage grows, Seiichi is vilified and isolated, while Ritsuko garners sympathy and rallies support for an unprecedented civil lawsuit. Everyday life unravels as despair overwhelms Seiichi, who fiercely continues to deny Ritsuko’s claim.

Internationally acclaimed Miike Takashi transforms journalist Fukuda Masumi’s groundbreaking report, Fabrication: The Truth Behind the Fukuoka 'Murderous Teacher' Case, into this gripping film. The story serves as both a social critique and a moral inquiry, challenging us to question what is real, whom to trust, and how fragile the images we create of others truly are.

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