Pretty Beast

Based on Kazu’s life story growing up in Japan with schizophrenic mother and an alcoholic father, Pretty Beast takes us from the funny to the heartbreaking and back again. The memories, moments, laughs, and trauma reveal that surviving in such an environment came down to Kazu finding humor as a survival tool and laughter becoming the only thing that connected her dysfunctional family. With those realizations she became hooked on comedy and it became her only outlet, however no one was laughing. From the defeated class clown, to a 20 something misfit in a sexist culture, Kazu faced years of resistance, sexism, criticism, failed relationships, and the weight of extremely low self-esteem. Finally, at 30 years old with no career, husband, or kids, suicidal thoughts and a nervous breakdown brought her to her knees in the least likely of places leading her to a moment that would change everything… Kazu reminds us that your past doesn’t define you… it prepares you.