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Aki-no: Japanese Film Festival 2019

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Aki-no: Japanese Film Festival 2019

The program is dedicated to bringing the best of the contemporary Japanese cinema. The selection represents the various genres Japanese cinema is known for, from animation to delicate family dramas. 

Opening Event

Complicity

Dir.: Kei Chikaura
| 116 minutes

In this flavorful and heartfelt drama, a Chinese man illegally moves to Japan in the hopes of finding a better future. He becomes an apprentice in a small family restaurant specializing in traditional Japanese soba noodles and learns a thing or two about cooking, life, and especially himself.

Mio on the Shore

Mio on the Shore

Dir.: Rytar Nakagawa
| 96 minutes

When her grandmother’s health deteriorates, 20-year-old Mio is forced to move to Tokyo. She stays with her late father’s best friend, who manages a traditional bathhouse. But even there, the ground around her is not stable….

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And Your Bird Can Sing

Dir.: Shô Miyake
| 106 minutes

A young man falls in love with his coworker. But she is more interested in his roommate, an unemployed loser. What begins as a fling quickly becomes a complex love triangle. The film successfully and elegantly captures the life of urban youths and the essence of today. 

Girl Missing

A Girl Missing

Dir.: Koji Fukada
| 111 minutes

Ichiko has a good life: she’s engaged and has a close relationship with the elderly woman she takes care of. But then the woman’s youngest granddaughter disappears, and the news of who is responsible will turn Ichiko’s life upside-down.

Jesus

Jesus

Dir.: Hiroshi Okuyama
| 76 minutes

Yura is forced to move to a small snowy village, where he attends a Christian school. He finds it difficult to adjust and find his place with the other children, until one day, the image of Jesus appears to him – small and devilish... 

Okko's Inn

Okko's Inn

Dir.: Kitarō Kōsaka
| 94 minutes

Okko moves to countryside to live with her grandmother who runs a traditional Japanese inn. While she prepares to be the next owner of the inn, Okko begins to see friendly ghosts. Okko’s Inn is a heartfelt and witty film for all ages. 

We Make Antiques

We Make Antiques!

Dir.: Masaharu Take
| 105 minutes

Norio, a seasoned antiques dealer, teams up with Sasuke, a disgraced potter, to come up with the scheme of a lifetime involving forged antiques. The film combines the intricate world of antique dealing with the sophistication of Ocean 11 to create a witty and captivating satire. 

His Lost Name

His Lost Name

Dir.: Nanako Hirose
| 113 minutes

A young man and an elderly widower develop an unlikely friendship, after the older man find. the younger one unconscious and without any memory of his past. Nanako Hirose presents a heartfelt story of two strangers united by cosmic circumstances.

Long Goodbye

A Long Goodbye

Dir.: Ryta Nakano
| 127 minutes

Ryta Nakano’s new film deals with Alzheimer with a tender, humane, and beautiful approach. 70-year-old Shohei gathers his family to inform them that he suffers from Alzheimer. The film follows the family’s emotional journey for seven years.