Showers

John gets more than he bargains for during a routine haircut. He goes on a provocative journey from the terrifying to the sublime. Shot with a miniature surveillance camera, entirely in first-person, haircut is a search for connection in the most surprising of circumstances.

Little Taiko Boy's soundtrack is a safer-sex parody of the American Christmas carol "The Little Drummer Boy" interspersed with the slow rumble of a traditional Japanese taiko drum that sounds like a massive throbbing heart beat. Against this backdrop, several men meet in Tokyo's bathhouses, love hotels and cruising spots for intimate encounters, watched over by a glamorous drag version of Amaterasu Omikami, the Shinto goddess of the Sun played by Japanese activist and artist MADAME BONJOUR JOHNJ.

When the disappearance of a local girl overshadows the abduction of another, the guilt-ridden mother of the first girl takes it upon herself to uncover the truth, leading her into a dangerous web of jealousy, deception, and police corruption. This tense thriller explores the depths of a mother's love, the power of community, and the harsh realities of living under the spotlight of a small-town scandal. —Janaya Black