CHAPERONE
Misha Miyamoto, 29, lives alone in the house her grandmother left her, has held the same job since high school, and likes her life as is: simple. Unfortunately, her satisfaction disappoints everyone around her. Her boss can't fathom why she won't take a promotion, her lack of ambition dissuades potential love interests, and her parents push her to sell her estate since she has no interest in starting a family. These pressures leave Misha isolated and sick of justifying her choices. When an earnest 18-year-old mistakes Misha for a fellow student, she finds solace in his lack of expectation and begins a relationship with him. But as their relationship grows, so does Misha’s reckless behavior.
Shot entirely in Hilo, CHAPERONE from filmmaker Zoe Eisenberg, recently had its world premiere at Slamdance, where it won the Grand Jury Breakouts Award.
Unlike the age-old trope of May-December relationships, CHAPERONE is a more refreshing exploration, as the film boldly asserts this ”is not a love story.” Even though both characters are of legal age, the narrative makes it clear that this relationship is toxic. Not only is it based on lies, but Misha is clearly using Jake as an answer to her problems and is far from respectful and smart about proper boundaries.
Local filmmaker Zoë Eisenberg, in her solo directorial feature debut, expertly navigates quarter-century malaise, fronted by great performances by Mitzi Akaha and Laird Akeo as Misha and Jake, respectively.
Purchase Tickers to Palace Theater HERE
Credits
Director(s):
Zoë EisenbergProducer(s):
Alison Week, Devin Murphy, Adam Wong, Gerard ElmoreWriter(s):
Zoë EisenbergCast:
Mitzi Akaha, Kanoa Goo, Laird Akeo, Jessica Jade Andres, Krista Alvarez, Ioane GoodhueCinematographer(s):
Camera Operators: Victoria Chen, Camron Verbarg, Jonah NituraSponsors:
