Fear and Trembling

Amélie, a dreamy and romantic young Belgian woman, arrives in Japan to begin work as a translator for the giant Yumimoto Corporation. For Amélie, who spent her childhood in Japan, this is a dream come true. It is her chance to become a "real Japanese." Eager to please her bosses and co-workers, she diligently accomplishes her daily tasks with invention and enthusiasm. But unfamiliar with the customs of the Japanese workplace, Amélie commits a series of cultural missteps and is singled out as a deviant within the company hierarchy, suffering a string of demotions. The harder she tries, the more wrathful her superiors seem to become, the more unreasonable and humiliating their demands. Unable to stop her downfall, Amélie suddenly stumbles upon her own extraordinary means of liberation.



FEAR AND TREMBLING is based on Amélie Nothomb‚s autobiographical novel of the same name. It is a true account of her experiences. Nothomb, Belgian by nationality, was born in Kobe, Japan, and currently lives in Paris. Sylvie Testud received the 2004 „Best Actress‰ César Award for her performance as Amélie. Unable to speak Japanese, she worked with a Japanese language coach prior to shooting.



"A marvelous cross between Secretary and Lost in Translation."
-- Jami Bernard , NEW YORK DAILY NEWS



"A captivating tale of corporate degradation and eventual liberation." -- Curt Fields , WASHINGTON POST



"Hilarious from first frame to last." -- V.A. Musetto , NEW YORK POST <



"A smart, funny tale of thwarted dreams and impossible humiliation." -- Steven Rea, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER



"In what is essentially a two-actress vehicle, Ms. Testud and Ms. Tsuji are letter-perfect in capturing all the shadings of their characters' passionately perverse relationship."
-- Andrew Sarris , NEW YORK OBSERVER