The Witches of the Orient

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1:56

The Witches of the Orient

2021

1h 40m

Documentary

Sports & Fitness

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

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27 Reviews

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0 Verified Ratings

The Japanese volleyball players called the “Oriental Witches” are now in their seventies. From the formation of the team at the factory until their victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, memories and legends rise to the surface and blend inextricably.

Critics Consensus

As visually stylish as it is overall captivating, The Witches of the Orient takes a solidly crafted look at a fascinating chapter of Olympic history.

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Jonathan Romney

Sight & Sound

May 14, 2026

All this is fun and often exciting, especially as it builds towards the team’s Olympic triumph.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Jul 22, 2021

Fusing exquisitely shot color 16mm footage from 1964 of the team's training sessions, drone-like music and splices of animation, we get a delirious sense of what these committed women endured six out of seven days a week.

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Josh Kupecki

Austin Chronicle

Jul 16, 2021

3.5/5

Faraut finds and obsesses over the rhythm of bodies in motion, using repetition and cross-cuts of the team's training footage and gameplay with anime sequences and textile manufacturing.

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Dorothy Woodend

The Tyee (British Columbia)

Nov 8, 2021

Women are tough. Perhaps even tougher than we realize. If you need any further reminder of this truism, I give you Julien Faraut's documentary, The Witches of the Orient.

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Sean Fallon

Film Inquiry

Aug 28, 2021

This is one of those documentaries that does what historical documentaries should do: it takes a monumental achievement that the viewer might not know about and gives it the presentation and love it deserves.

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Dan Schindel

Hyperallergic

Aug 3, 2021

More than presenting the mere facts of history, the film explores how a series of events can capture the attention of a culture at large, and what that means for the people at its center.

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ionut m

@The_Last_Movie_I_Saw Dec 11, 2021

A surprising and immersive documentary about Japan's most prolific female handball team

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Julien Faraut

Director

Julien Faraut

Writer

William Jéhannin

Producer

Yutaka Yamazaki

Cinematographer

Jason Lytle

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The Witches of the Orient: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The Japanese volleyball players called the “Oriental Witches” are now in their seventies. From the formation of the team at the factory until their victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, memories and legends rise to the surface and blend inextricably.

Director: Julien Faraut
Producer: William Jéhannin
Screenwriter: Julien Faraut
Production Co: Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance, Centre National du Cinéma et de L'image Animée, La Région Île-de-France, UFO Production
Genre: Documentary, Sports & Fitness
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 9, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 26, 2021
Runtime: 1h 40m

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