Taku Aoyagi’s documentary “Tokyo Uber Blues” will be screening at Laemmle Theatres as part of their Culture Vulture series.
Showtimes are Monday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. and Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m. at the following theaters:
Claremont 5, 450 W. 2nd St., Claremont
Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino
Monica Film Center, 1332 2nd St., Santa Monica
Laemmle Glendale, 207 N. Maryland Ave., Glendale
Unemployed in the wake of the pandemic, the 26-year-old filmmaker decides to try his luck in Tokyo. Short on worldly possessions, using his bike and phone, he becomes an Uber Eats rider. Now, he can decide his own hours, and is free to choose when to take orders.
But pedaling through deserted streets delivering boba tea to cloistered condos, he starts to wonder — what was it that Ken Loach said about the Uberization of society? Shooting on a mixture of smartphones and GoPros, Aoyagi invites the audience to join him on his daily rides speeding through a deserted Tokyo as he talks to himself and his peers, asking, for a young, unemployed person with $40,000 of student debt, does gig-work offer a model for the future?
There will be a Q&A with Aoyagi after the Sept. 23 screening at the Laemmle Glendale and the Sept. 24 screening at the Monica Film Center.
In Japanese with English subtitles. Run time: 93 minutes. Info/tickets: www.laemmle.com
“What makes ‘Tokyo Uber Blues’ special is its realistic approach, but even more so its honesty. Aoyagi does not shy away from the hurdles in the journey he shows… Although some are humorous, as a result of the director’s unwillingness to back down from his initial plan, others are quite heart-breaking, especially when you witness the emotional change in this young man, who you really want to succeed and conclude the ‘quest’ he has given himself.” — Asian Movie Pulse
“Tokyo Uber Blues” will also be broadcast on Oct. 21 as part of the award-winning documentary series “POV” on PBS.