Jo Motoyo's 'Midnight' Is a Different Glimpse into Japan's Dark Side

TOKYO director Jo Motoyo's short film 'Midnight' tells the story of a 911 operator who receives an unnerving call while working one night. The film questions whether we must live, even when confronted with a violent tomorrow. Jo's aim was to depict the “tomorrow” that nobody can escape - we always talk of “tomorrow” as if it is full of hope and light, but sometimes in reality, tomorrow can bring about violence. Either way, time only runs forward. The film was also the Midnight Winner of Adfest 2019 Fabulous Five Popular Vote.

Speaking of the project, Jo says: “People always pretend to be happy. But I don’t think that’s always necessary. Everyone has a dark-side but they keep it to themselves. I think it’s really natural to have negative ideas in your mind and you don’t have to feel guilty, this feeling is normal. I really wanted to highlight that with this film.” 

Jo was born to a Japanese father and a Taiwanese mother. Working as a photographer before she had graduated from the prestigious Musashino Art University, Jo has proven her worth time and time again as a director and artist. Read more about her here.