Love Beyond Frontiers: Made in Japan

Love beyond Frontiers: Made in Japan is the first film of what was to become a three-part documentary series. In it, acclaimed film-maker Puck de Leeuw portrays 3 caucasian women who have fallen in love with Japanese men. They decided to follow their lovers to their homes. Yet, Japanese culture and lifestyle puts great strain on their marriages. Each of the women regularly asks herself why she’s willing to adapt so entirely to the lifestyle of her husband…

Human Interest
There’s a Japanese proverb saying: ‘The nail that sticks out has to be hammered in’, and the meaning of that abstraction is what the women find out in reality. No matter how gracefully they pour tea, it’s never graceful enough for their new friends and their families.

About the director and her awards
Puck de Leeuw received the ‘Golden Zapper’, the Audience Award for best documentary at the 1996 International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam. In 1999, Puck de Leeuw realised the even more successful Love Beyond Frontiers, part 2 – Made in Africa. Unfortunately, part 3 – made in the USA was never realised as Puck de Leeuw succumbed to lung cancer in 2002 in the age of 48.

PartII: made in Africa
Love beyond frontiers: made in africa will be on DocsOnline 8 dec, 2006. “Made in Africa” is part II of this well acclaimed documentary series on women adapting their lives to their to foreign (African) spouses. Culture shocks and torn shattered dreams appear to be a common dilemma in these mixed marriages.