Fear and Trembling (Stupeur et tremblements) (NR)

synopsis

Amelie, a dreamy and romantic young Belgian woman, arrives in Japan to begin work as a translator for the giant Yumimoto Corporation. For Amelie, 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, Amelie diligently accomplishes her daily tasks with invention and enthusiasm. But unfamiliar with the customs of the Japanese workplace, she 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, Amelie suddenly stumbles upon her own extraordinary means of liberation.