Branching Paths
I’m always searching for new documentaries, preferably ones that cover subjects, stories, or processes I don’t yet know much about. As of last night, I have my eye on Branching Paths.
It examines the growing independent video game scene in Japan, an area of this industry I truthfully don’t follow closely enough. Here’s the film’s setup, as described by director Anne Ferrero:
“For the last several years, the Japanese game industry has begun to recognize the power of independent creators and the momentum of the fledgling scene, and in 2013, the Tokyo Game Show created a pavilion to feature indie creators for the first time in its history.
But is the Japanese game industry really changing? What is the price of creative independence? Why is there no funding or support from the Japanese government? These are just some of the questions we examine, to understand not only this unique scene, but its roots in culture. The answers tell a story of a struggle, not only for creative expression, but for survival as well.”
The trailer suggests there will be conversations about defining success, dreaming big, and achieving happiness — topics not at all unique to designing video games. I’m into it.
Branching Paths is slated for a January 2016 release.
