Imagine living in a room on your own for 15 months. No human contact, no connection to the outside world. All you have in with you are mail-in competitions in magazines, all you will have in with you is whatever you can win from said magazines. Truly, something straight from a horror story.
The case of Tomoaki Hamatsu is no tall tale, sadly. Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi (eggplant), went through this exact experience and it was broadcast on Susunu! Denpa Shōnen as a reality television segment.
The Contestant is a British documentary directed by Clair Titley and stars in the Central Scotland Documentary Festival. Here, Hamatsu’s story is re-told using archives from Susunu! Denpa Shōnen and interviews from himself, a producer from the show Toshio Tsuchiya, and various other characters.
Titley grips your mind as she submerses you in this unbelievable event and the fallout that followed.
Nestled between the terrifying accounts of what Hamatsu went through are beautifully framed shots, both of the interviewees and establishing shots. While the documentary focuses heavily on the past, the present shots are still something worth marvelling at.
It starts off reletavely light-hearted, or as light-hearted as this subject can be, I suppose. The audience share a few chuckles, some loud nose exhales at the more amusing scenes.
Using the old archives of Hamatsu’s segment feels like watching The Hunger Games or The Truman Show before either of those existed. Goosebumps will prickle your skin as the story goes ever deeper, ever darker. Just when you think Hamatsu’s luck is about to turn, Tsuchiya toys with his emotions and drops him into another low.
Towards the end, one audience member audibly gasped “no!” when she clicked with what was about to happen.
Early in the film, Hamatsu noted that there was a “difference between making people laugh and being laughed at”.
A victim of childhood bullying for his long face, Hamatsu has tougher skin than most. Like the audience, he started off positive about the challenge, only writing negative things in diaries provided (which were later published as books without his knowledge).
As time went on, Hamatsu began vocalising his struggles. In the interview he recalled being unaware of time, not having a grip on reality, and living in a “struggle between sanity and madness”.
“There were so many times that I wanted to die,” he admitted as the audience watched in shock.
Titley handles the topics of loneliness, sucidal thoughts, psychological torture, and torment with due severity.
Hamatsu’s mind wasn’t all that had been damaged, his body had deteriorated during his time in isolation.
As he speaks about his experience, you feel a sense of acceptance from Hamatsu. Of course, he still has strong feelings towards what happened to him. But, he didn’t stop them from ruining his life. Instead, he turned his life around and became a true hero for people of his home town and others.
Without spoiling too much, don’t let the serious themes deter you from this documentary. It is surreal, yes, but you are rewarded in the end as a viewer, like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
The Contestant had it’s Scottish premier at Macrobert Arts Centre on November 1 as part of the Central Scotland Documentary Festival.
Featured Image Credit: Macrobert Arts Centre/ The Contestant
Fourth year student journalist studying Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Journalism Studies.
Words at Brig, The Daily Evergreen, Alloa Advertiser, Discovery Music Scotland, and The Mourning Paper.
