The Contestant + Recorded Q&A

In 1998, a few months before the US gave us The Truman Show, and a couple of years before the UK gave us Big Brother, Japan gave us A Life In Prizes. The premise was simple: an ordinary man named Nasubi was stripped naked and put in a small room. His goal? To remain in complete isolation, surviving only on the prizes he won through radio and magazine competitions. A reality TV experiment which still remains unparalleled for sustained sadism, A Life In Prizes ran for 15 months and, unbeknownst to its star, attracted 30 million viewers a week. This documentary examines the psychological forces at work in the minds of its star, producer and viewers and takes an honest look at the physical and emotional toll the project took on Nasubi.

Shocking, funny and humane, The Contestant proves that connection and socialisation are basic human needs, and emerges as an inspiring story of survival.

Followed by a recorded Q&A with Nasubi, hosted by Empire’s Chris Hewitt.