ZAMEK Culture Centre

Two musicians, Kan and Shingo, dream of a great career, yet everything divides them – from musical taste to temperament – and, on top of that, they genuinely despise each other. When they receive an offer they cannot refuse, their resentment is pushed aside, and a duo, born of pure calculation, begins to shine like stars from a dream factory. Thus are the Stardust Brothers born: J-pop glitter idols undeterred by the kitsch of their own songs, perfectly attuned to the tastes of an illusion-hungry Japanese audience of the 1980s.

The musical dream of a madman, created by Makoto Tezuka – a legend of Japanese experimental film – is a singular vision of show business in the era of the speculative bubble. The airy melodies of city pop, the fanciful sets, and the dazzling glamour of the stars involved in the project all capture the unique atmosphere of a decade when anything could be manufactured. “Stardust Brothers” is an eccentric satire of the sins of the entertainment industry and, at the same time, Japan’s answer to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. Although the film was a spectacular flop on its theatrical release, today “Stardust Brothers” has become a cult classic; restored and rediscovered, it stands as proof that the 1980s in Japan were an utterly unique time.

THE LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS, reż. Macoto Tezuka, Japan 1985, 100’