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I Like You, I Like You Very Much (18) [35mm] + Introduction by Tony Rayns

Queer 90s

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Still from I Like You

A gay man in a relationship considers a sexual encounter with another man in this fresh, sexy romance from Hiroyuki Oki.

In the Japanese port city of Kochi, a gay man named Yu spots an attractive man on the street, follows him and taps him on the shoulder, blurting out "I like you, I like you very much". He confesses his passion to his partner, Shin, who has secrets of his own – will the couple embrace monogamy or will they explore other sexual partners?

An unapologetically cruisy example of ‘Pink Cinema’, a term broadly used to describe Japanese films with erotic content, I Like You… is a surprisingly touching romance from avant-garde filmmaker Hiroyuki Oki. Freewheeling, sometimes sweet and often sexy, it’s one of the most intriguing gay films to emerge from Japan.

Tagged with: Cinema Queer 90s PRIDE 2023

Japan 1994 dir Hiroyuki Oki 58 min 35mm presentation

In partnership with the Japan Foundation

Tony Rayns is a critic, curator and occasional filmmaker with a special interest in the film cultures of East Asia.  He writes for Sight and Sound.

Film print courtesy of the National Film Archive of Japan.

Please note that this film contains sex scenes and a brief verbal reference to sexual violence.

‘Highly credible as an account of a glitch in a relationship, it strikes me as one of the most candid films ever made about the vagaries of male desire.‘
Tony Rayns, Time Out

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