Yamashita Nobuhiro, Japan's young poet of slackerdom (No One's Ark) distills the listless energy of 21st century high school girls into a comedy of punk attitude.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2006
Linda Linda Linda 2005
Yamashita, Japan’s young poet of sleepy slackerdom (No One’s Ark), distils the listless energy of 21st-century high school girls into a craftily detailed comedy of punk attitude. When her high school rock band breaks up over ‘musical differences’, co-founder Kei decides to put together a new band to compete in an inter-school music competition. Her eye falls on Korean exchange student Son as her new vocalist, unfazed by the fact that Son doesn’t yet speak Japanese. They have just three days to master their set – and by the time they’re done you’re likely to be grinning from one ear to the other, and trying to dislodge their signature anthem from your brain.
“Destined for my 2005 10-best list from the moment its petulant and perpetually dozing-off all-girl high-school rock band started strumming the chords of the Blue Hearts’ 80s J-punk classic from which the film takes its title. As hormonally true in its languorous pacing as it is hugely exhilarating in its triumphant talent-show climax, Linda is an emo remix of School of Rock.” — Chuck Stephens, San Francisco Bay Guardian