Cut (2011)

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A man is willing to sacrifice his body for the sake of the art that feeds his soul in this unusual drama from director Amir Naderi. Shuji (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is an independent filmmaker who is a fervent believer in what he calls "pure cinema," and loathes commercial movies that are made to satisfy… More A man is willing to sacrifice his body for the sake of the art that feeds his soul in this unusual drama from director Amir Naderi. Shuji (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is an independent filmmaker who is a fervent believer in what he calls "pure cinema," and loathes commercial movies that are made to satisfy the lowest common denominator without engaging the creative spirit. When he isn't trying to put his next project together, Shuji is lecturing passer-bys about important films and hosting screenings of cherished classics on the roof of a building. After Shuji's brother, who helped bankroll his movies, turns up dead, the filmmaker makes a shocking discovery -- his brother borrowed the money from a loan shark, and his failure to pay caused gangsters to murder him. Mobster Masaki (Shun Sugata) tells Shuji it's up to him to pay off the loan; the film buff doesn't have the cash, so instead he arranges for the gangsters to pummel him for the amusement of others for ten days, using his passion for cinema as a distraction to get him through the experience. A collaboration between an Iranian director and a Japanese cast and crew, Cut was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi