CONFESSION

Mai Nakanisshi

Born in Tokyo and shaped by life across five countries, Nakanishi is a Japanese director whose work centers on genre-defying, socially conscious, female-led narratives across Asia. Her short films include HANA (2018), a supernatural horror shot in Korea; SWALLOW (2021), a body horror filmed in Taiwan; and BORDER (2023), a surrealistic home invasion thriller also shot in Korea. These films have screened at festivals including Tampere (award winner) and Sitges, and select titles have been streamed on Shudder and Mórbido TV. In her latest short film CONFESSION (2025), Nakanishi collaborated with pioneering cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa, known for her longtime work with Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Nakanishi is an alumna of the BIFF Asian Film Academy, Talents Tokyo, and the Sundance/NHK Script Lab. She was recently selected for the inaugural Film Frontier program, organized by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, to develop her debut feature film, and was also named one of the emerging Japanese filmmakers by Variety.

Director Statement

CONFESSION was inspired by an unsettling article linking childhood animal cruelty to adult aggression, known as the „graduation hypothesis.“ This idea triggered a haunting memory from my childhood: one summer day, burdened by a bad day at school, I crushed a silkworm given to me by a friend. The anger faded, but guilt overwhelmed me, and the memory of the silkworm’s fragile body still echoes in my mind to this day.
CONFESSION explores guilt and the cyclical nature of trauma, revealing how societal isolation shapes personal choices and traps individuals—especially women—in recurring patterns of self-doubt and regret. It is a story about the burden of unspoken sins and the quiet fear of the violence that lives within, set against the backdrop of Japanese society, where anger and frustration are often silently repressed.
I am committed to diversity and representation, both on-screen and behind the scenes. I’m proud that 50% of our crew is women. A meaningful highlight is our cinematographer, Akiko Ashizawa—a trailblazer in Japan’s cinematography and longtime collaborator with Kiyoshi Kurosawa, whose work continues to inspire future generations of female DOPs. And I hope our collaboration marks a step toward a more inclusive and forward-looking Japanese film landscape.