A2

A2 is the sequel to A from 1997, a film about the religious sect Aum Shinrikyo, which was responsible for the lethal gas attack in March 1995 on a subway station in Tokyo. For filmmaker Tatsuya Mori, that was an end to the matter, until a new law was passed that stipulated continuous surveillance for the group. Mori went back to film the sect members and registered everyday life under the watchful eye of the police and hostile local residents. It turns out that the demonised sect is made up of mostly gentle, unworldly and sensitive people with growing doubts about the future of society. Their politeness and benevolence is not without consequences: the patrolling local residents gradually grow sympathetic towards them and some of them even become friends. But numerous incidents during Mori's recordings at various sect buildings, demonstrate to what extent the prevailing opinion is still determined by irrational hatred and fear. Extreme right-wing nationalists demonstrate fervently against Aum Shinrikyo, but when invited in by the sect members, they only dare to hand over their pamphlet with slogans at the door before continuing to chant, clearly with less conviction. Mori mainly just registers things, but sometimes he intervenes with confrontational questions and propositions. Nor does he care much for (un)pronounced conventions. The entreaty 'you’d better not film this' seems to be a signal for him to zoom in even closer on his subject.