Hello! I’m Rena Masuyama, Film director.

Following [Mama’s promise-Abundance found through zero- nuclear power plant movement] (2013), and [The truth of sending troops-A prosecution of a concealed accident in Iraq War by a self-defense force official](2015), I’ve been filming forth movie [The first year of basic income].

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This movie will be the first Japanese movie about basic income which has been remarked internationally. It is said that more than a half of jobs exist at present will be taken over by AI in 20 years. Also, we’ve been facing extreme social inequality in wealth which of more than a half is owned by only 8 people. Will this modern society keep going ahead?

 Most people work at “sweatshop” companies while students suffer payments of student loans in Japan. The entire world would collapse if we don’t re-design our society.

 The very moment when I heard about basic income in Switzerland where the government pays income to citizens whether they have a job or not, I decided to film a movie.
The film is to be the mixture of fiction and documentary, editing opinions of experts in Swiss and Hawaii, explaining in drama-part that what would happen if the system starts and all details about basic income should be clear and easy to understand as economic topics tend to be difficult to understand. I’ve been developing my ideas.

{Is Japanese women tied down?}

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Enno Schmidt, Swiss national referendum activist is in this film. The last day of her two weeks stay in Japan, she told me. [Whether rich or poor, all Japanese women seem like pets of somebody else. Basic income is to set them free.]
As a mother, worker, and artist, I’ve fought against the society which is hard to grasp what it exactly is. I’m going to film this movie to let people think what has tied us down and how we can remake the society better for us.

<Story/Drama >
Nohara-city is the first city where basic income system is introduced in Japan. What will happen to Yoko (Yoko Oshima) who works from day to night, struggle with not having enough time to be with her daughter? Changing process of people who have tied down to time and money will shift to revalue their work-life and spend more time with their loved ones.

 Yoko Oshima (Yoko): directed by Naomi Kawase, exhibited Cannes Film Festival   
President of a company in Nohara-city (Shinzo Hotta): played more than 1600 films and tv-dramas.Yoko’s partner (Shuhei Kii)
Owner of the club (Kaori Kanda)

<Basic Income in the world >

After national referendum for basic income in Switzerland in June 2016, basic income has been introduced in many countries.
2,000 unemployed people got paid in Finland as the beginning of the system, Monteiro state in Canada followed that. The state law enacted in Hawaii, for the first time in the US in June 2017.
As proofs of experiments have been demonstrated since 1970’s, the introduction of basic income has led: “100% school enrollment rate”, “doubled the number of newly established companies”, “less alcohol dependency” etc.

First in the US! Basic income in the state law in Hawaii

The situation of basic income in society has been changing while I keep filming.
Basic income system is enacted in state law of Hawaii in June 2017 which is the first time in the US. Therefore, I went to have an interview with Chris Lee, a state legislator who is one of the members proposed the law. The interview will be seen in documentary part.

[Jobs will be taken over by AI. Hawaii will suffer severely]

[The economy system is breaking down. Now only 3 people are enough to operate cash register, used to be 10 people. Entire society must change for the introduction of AI. Especially Hawaii is the state depend on tourism. The effect will be severe.] He told the reason why basic income was introduced in Hawaii. The law was confirmed by the full committee.
The concern for tourism which might be damaged by the sea level rise because of greenhouse effect took a role to push to enact the law. Hawaii state announces that the state agrees on Paris Agreement which President Trump broke away.
 To introduce for all families in Hawaii, the ministry of business and the ministry of social welfare made a team to investigate taxation and efficiency of social welfare system.
They shifted to IT taxation system.
By doing more taxation for landowners and administering online of taxes for rental hotels and cars, they have reduced taxation rate for approximately 1,000 low-income householders.
They decided to pay maximum 70 dollars a day for people who look after elderlies over 60 and at the same time work more than 30 hours a week, to prevent them leave their work.
In Hawaii, both conservative and liberal parties face the reality of the state and prepare for the coming future.