By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

Stepping off the bus at the loop near the convocation mall, one immediately notices the set. At first, I thought the university was building a small aesthetic space to brighten the atmosphere, maybe an area for students to take pictures, especially after convocation. After digging around and peeking across the no entry tape, a small gazebo-esque structure, shrouded by some cherry blossom trees, becomes visible. A film is being shot on campus, and if you’re like us at The Peak, you’re curious.

Here’s what we know. The title of the film is Karoshi, written and directed by Takashi Doscher. The most notable members of the cast include Cynthia Erivo, whose well-known role was that of Elphaba in Wicked, and Isabel May, who stars in the mini-series 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone. Aside from SFU, the film is being shot across Metro Vancouver, with one of the filming locations being Chinatown. The shoot began in June and will continue throughout August, but an official release date for the film has not been revealed.

According to Deadline, the film is described as a “corporate thriller with a samurai twist.” A “corporate thriller” does not have a clear definition. Some examples of this would be TV shows like Mr. Robot, which revolves around a hacker working for a cybersecurity company, whose motive is to expose and destroy the major corporations that govern society without the knowledge of the public. Another example includes Severance, which tells the story of a “macro-data refinement” team, who sever their memories of the outside world when they step into the office and vice versa once they leave. Neither of these shows are specifically labelled “corporate thrillers.” They are widely different from one another but share the aspect of corporate espionage. 

The samurai film on the other hand is easier to define. The genre is packed with many unique films ranging from Ran to Harakiri. They focus on the stories of feudal Japan, and tackle themes like power, and visually showcase the nature of violence. The elements of samurai films have been co-opted by western media before, such as in Kill Bill, which is a revenge flick taking place in a contemporary setting. It uses sword combat, as the protagonist seeks revenge on a man who wrongs her — a fight for and against power, similarly to samurai films that came before it. 

Based on the brief description, Karoshi will be a work of fiction that transcends any genre-label. The word itself translates to “death from overwork,” so maybe we’ll see a compelling anti-corporate thriller, filled with interesting action sequences and a commentary on business culture. There are limitless possibilities, but the most likely theory is Karoshi will pay homage to the samurai genre, while translating the themes of corporate power-struggles to contemporary settings. We’ll have to head to the movie theatre to find out the truth and see if we can recognize parts of SFU Burnaby!