FAR WESTERN

TICKETS for FAR WESTERN at Roxie Sat Feb 3, 2p HERE

TICKETS for FAR WESTERN at Roxie Thu Feb 8, 7p HERE

Director James D. Payne – 2017 Japan 93 min California Premiere – Music/Documentary 

Amid the ashes of post-WWII Japan, the bittersweet sounds of American traditional country music drifted through the radio airwaves. Although intended for the U.S. occupying forces, a vast ‘ghost audience’ of young Japanese quickly warmed to the soothing, yet foreign, sounds.

Since falling in love with the music in the 1950’s, Charlie Nagatani has lived to play and spread country music throughout Japan. From his hometown of Kumamoto in southern Japan, Charlie operates a family-run honky tonk named Good Time Charlie’s and is the promoter of the largest country music festival in Japan, Country Gold.  

Far Western illuminates this lost chapter of music as the musicians’ journey from Japan to the heart of American music culture. Over seventy years later this American music tradition has been transformed into something distinctly Japanese. – Chris Metzler