Cycle
From 19.04. To 17.05.2006.
Program of Japanese films
Films in cycle
Before the Dawn
(Yoake mae, 1953.)
Directed by: Kozaburo Yoshimura
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yoshio Miyajima
Synopsis:
In 19th century, Hanzo Aoyama is the owner of an inn for wealthy people in the small town of Magome situated between Kyoto and Edo. Aoyama is loyal to the cruel shogun Tokugawa and in return he has certain privileges. The emperor’s fight to gain back his throne will cause political and social unrest, which will result in war, and Aoyama’s position will become worse than ever…
35 mm, b/w, 143 min
PROJECTION:
Thursday 20.04.2006 AT 18:30
Wednesday 19.04.2006 AT 20:30
The Incident
(Jiken, 1978)
Directed by: Yoshitaro Nomura
PHOTOGRAPHY: Takashi Kawamata
Synopsis:
This is a court drama about the trial of the murderer of a 23 year-old Hatsuko Sakai. The accused is the 19 year-old Hiroshi Ueda, worker in a shipyard. Former professor of the murdered girl and local people are witnesses and help gather evidence against the accused. Simultaneously we learn about the events that took place before the murder.
color, 139 min
PROJECTION:
Monday 24.04.2006 AT 18:30
Thursday 20.04.2006 AT 21:00
The Man Who Stole The Sun
(Taiyo o nusunda otoko, 1979)
Directed by: Kazuhiko Hasegawa
PHOTOGRAPHY: Tatsuo Suzuki
Synopsis:
A high school teacher builds an atom bomb in his house. He manages to steal plutonium and builds two warheads, which he uses for blackmail. He blackmails the television station because he wants the baseball games to be uninterrupted by commercials and the Rolling Stones because he wants them to have a concert in Tokyo. The police come after him but complications ensue when it turns out that he has been irradiated by plutonium.
color, 147 min
PROJECTION:
Tuesday 25.04.2006 AT 18:30
Monday 24.04.2006 AT 21:00
Fall Guy
(1982)
Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku
PHOTOGRAPHY: Kiyoshi Kitasaka
Synopsis:
Ginshiro is a faded star of samurai films who abuses his fan Yasu’s admiration to slip out from unpleasant situations. When Ginshiro’s girlfriend announces that she is pregnant, he manages to persuade Yasu to marry her instead of him. Now, Yasu has a family to support and gets a job as a stunt man in order to earn some additional money.
color, 109 minuta
PROJECTION:
Wednesday 26.04.2006 AT 19:00
Tuesday 25.04.2006 AT 21:00
I are you, you am me
(1982)
Directed by: Nobuhiko Obayashi
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yoshitaka Sakamoto
Synopsis:
Teenager Kazuo and his friend Kazumi live in a small coastal town. One day they have an accident in a temple and faint. When they awake they realize that their souls have exchanged bodies - Kazuo is now in Kazumi’s body and Kazumi in his...
color, 112 minuta
PROJECTION:
Thursday 27.04.2006 AT 21:00
Wednesday 26.04.2006 AT 21:00
Gonza the Spearman
(1986)
Directed by: Masahiro Shinoda
PHOTOGRAPHY: Kazuo Miyagawa
Synopsis:
Gonza Sasano’s master offers him the hand of his daughter in marriage. Gonza cannot refuse his master and ends up engaged to his daughter even though he is already secretly engaged to another girl. He does that because he wants to learn the secret of the tea ceremony from his master’s family. However, his fiancée’s mother finds out about his other engagement and teaches him the ceremony of tea in advance because she wants to find out his true intentions.
color, 126 min
PROJECTION:
Saturday 29.04.2006 AT 21:00
Friday 28.04.2006 AT 19:00
Actress
(Eiga joyu, 1987)
Directed by: Kon Ichikawa
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yukio Isohata
Synopsis:
This is a biography of the Japanese actress and director Kinuyo Tanaka who began her career in the silent films era and worked all through the 1970s. This film covers her story until she made her film The Life of Oharu (1952) by the director Kenji Mizoguchi and offers a short overview of Japanese films.
color, 130 min
PROJECTION:
Saturday 29.04.2006 AT 19:00
Friday 28.04.2006 AT 21:00
Tsugumi
(1990)
Directed by: Jun Ichikawa
PHOTOGRAPHY: Kôichi Kawakami
Synopsis:
Tugumi is a spoiled and selfish 18 year-old girl prone to sicknesses. One summer she meets Kyoichi who works in the local gallery and falls in love with him. Tugumi’s former boyfriend, a jealous leader of a delinquent gang, attacks Kyoichi and kills Tugumi’s dog. Tugumi comes up with a revenge plan.
color, 105 min
PROJECTION:
Wednesday 03.05.2006 AT 21:00
Tuesday 02.05.2006 AT 19:00
Nowhere Man
(1991)
Directed by: Naoto Takenaka
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yasushi Sasakibara
Synopsis:
Sukezo Sukegawa, a draughtsman of manga cartoons, lacks money and decides to take part in an unusual business attempt. In a hut close to the river Tama he opens a store that sells “artistic” rocks. But people are not interested in buying them and his wife has little understanding for his business endeavor.
color, 110 min
PROJECTION:
Wednesday 03.05.2006 AT 19:00
Tuesday 02.05.2006 AT 21:00
Moving
(1993)
Directed by: Shinji Somai
PHOTOGRAPHY: Toyomichi Kurita
Synopsis:
Renko is a six year-old girl whose parents announce that they are getting a divorce. At first she is completely calm and only later understands the implications of their decision. She decides to re-bind her parents, which is not as easy as it seems…
color, 124 min
PROJECTION:
Friday 05.05.2006 AT 21:00
Thursday 04.05.2006 AT 19:00
Kamikaze Taxi
(1995)
Directed by: Masato Harada
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yoshitaka Sakamoto
Synopsis:
Tatsuo is a young yakuza in charge of prostitutes for a high-ranking politician with sadistic inclinations. All the girls that he handles come back with bruises and beat up. When Tatsuo’s girlfriend complains, the criminal organization’s boss kills her. Tatsuo wants revenge and gets help from a Japanese taxi driver from South America.
color, 140 min
PROJECTION:
Friday 05.05.2006 AT 18:30
Thursday 04.05.2006 AT 21:00
Haru
(1996)
Directed by: Yoshimitsu Morita
PHOTOGRAPHY: Hiroshi Takase
Synopsis:
This is a romantic comedy about an Internet-based friendship between Haru and Hoshi. Haru is a salesman who, after a knee injury, spends a lot of time in chat rooms. He meets Hoshi who helps him with advice on Haru’s problematic relationship and they become good friends. Eventually, Hoshi admits that he is in fact a she…
color, 118 min
PROJECTION:
Monday 08.05.2006 AT 21:00
Saturday 06.05.2006 AT 19:00
Dora-heita
(2000)
Directed by: Kon Ichikawa
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yukio Isohata
Synopsis:
Dora-heita, in translation “street cat”, is the nickname of a newly appointed judge from a county famous for anarchy and in which three judges have vanished. The new judge pretends to be incapable and drunk all the time so that he can get rid of criminals more easily.
color, 111 min
PROJECTION:
Monday 08.05.2006 AT 19:00
Saturday 06.05.2006 AT 21:00
Darkness in the Light
(2001)
Directed by: Kei Kumai
PHOTOGRAPHY: Kazuo Okuhara
Synopsis:
In 1994, in the Japanese town of Matsumoto there was a leakage of nerve gas. The media, hungry for sensationalism, accused Toshi Kanbe, the man who first called the police because of the accident. Even though he is innocent, Kanbe cannot prove it until a massive attack happens in Tokyo…
color, 118 min
PROJECTION:
Tuesday 16.05.2006 AT 19:00
Monday 15.05.2006 AT 21:00
A Boy's Summer in 1945
(2002)
Directed by: Kazuo Kuroki
PHOTOGRAPHY: Masaki Tamura
Synopsis:
This is a story about a 16 year-old boy Yasu’s growing up in the summer if 1945, right before WW II. Yasu’s parents send him from Tokyo to the country to visit his grandmother and grandfather. He manages to avoid the draft because of his poor health, but he feels guilty because of his friend’s death during an air attack.