Directed by Julien Faraut • 2021 • France
Starring Kinuko Tanida, Yoko Shinozaki, Katsumi Matsumura

How did a group of humble factory workers become a phenomenal sports success story and the pride of an entire nation? This ferociously innovative, visually stunning documentary tells the tale of the Japanese women’s volleyball team’s thrilling rise, unbelievable 258-game winning streak, and eventual gold medal triumph at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. United by their jobs in a textile factory, the team chased absolute perfection—striking fear in the hearts of their competitors and earning them the racist moniker “Oriental witches.” Less an underdog tale than a saga of overwhelming determination, THE WITCHES OF THE ORIENT conjures—through a mix of fantastic anime sequences and rhythmically edited archival footage—the team’s grip on the imagination of an entire nation seeking renewal and acceptance on the postwar world stage.