Trudie Styler Instagram – This week for #FemaleFilmmakerFriday, I’m highlighting director, writer, and producer Hikari (@thehikarism) for her latest film, #RentalFamily.
Originally from Osaka, Hikari first came to the U.S. as an exchange student and later studied Theatre Arts, Dance Performance, and Fine Arts at Southern Utah University before completing her MFA at USC. Her early years working on sets, sometimes as a dancer or extra, gave her a grounded understanding of performance and visual storytelling. She went on to direct episodes of @netflix’s Beef, including the pilot, bringing a striking emotional clarity to the series, and earned acclaim for her feature debut 37 Seconds, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Her new film, Rental Family, follows an American actor who takes an unusual job with a Japanese agency, stepping into the lives of strangers who need someone to stand in for them. As he moves between these borrowed roles, he begins to rediscover purpose and connection in unexpected places. A thoughtful reminder of how cinema can help us see one another with fresh eyes. Congratulations Hikari, I can’t wait to see what you do next! | Posted on 12/Dec/2025 22:32:44
