Mrs. Hoshi (Toyo Hoshino)
14 year-old schoolgirl Tsubame is into university student Toru. She sees him in her area and really wants to be his. She struggles with how to inform him of her love. Then her stepmother becomes pregnant and she is distracted with that development. The one reliable part of her life is the calligraphy class she attends, but then she runs into a woman.
Hikaru Tamayodo
Renji Ishibashi, starring in the movie for the first time in 18 years, plays a hero with two faces, a dull novelist and a legendary killer. Susumu Ichikawa, an obsolete writer with no manuscript at all, had another face - a legendary hitman. But the truth of the matter is... he had never shot a person. One day, he receives a murder request from a friend. Seeing this as an opportunity to achieve the ideal hard-boiled novel, he decides to hire a real hitman and demands that he report to him the assassination situation as it was.
Grandmother
Rumi Hayachine is a 2nd-year high school student living in Tono who loves to daydream about and draw supernatural spirits. One day, her beloved grandmother decides to move out saying, “I want to do what I want with my life.” At school, Rumi is pressured to think about her future but cannot decide what path she wants to take. When her best friend Kie says she wants to go to university in Tokyo, Rumi feels even more abandoned by everyone around her. However, Kie secretly submits a drawing made by Rumi into a contest, and it wins an award. This gives Rumi the extra bit of confidence she needs to find her path in life.
Keiko
“Magic Kimono” tells the story of middle-aged Japanese woman Keiko, who has been living in a shell for decades due to a family tragedy in Kobe. The modest act of eating and the sensations it gives us provided Keiko a lifeline to survive. Unwillingly, she joins a group of Japanese women traveling to Northern Europe to participate in a kimono show in the fairytale-like art nouveau world of Riga. During her performance, Keiko suddenly comes face to face with her husband, who disappeared twenty years ago and now wants to read-dress their relationship and who Keiko has become.
Esperanza
The space will be witness of dreams, hopes, disappointments and dramatic destinies of its residents, delivering an intimate human history of Mexico through the decades. La Habitación will reunite eight directors that will expose the reality of each historical period resulting in a profound and inspiring portrait of modern Mexico.
Hairi
Tras esquivar la muerte, Major Kusanagi resucita como cíborg y encabeza un equipo de caza de ciberterroristas. Pero un pirata informático se reserva otros planes.
Satomi
Una joven alemana entabla amistad con una mujer mayor japonesa durante un tour por la región de Fukushima, una zona afectada por el terremoto en del 2011 en Japón. Marie (Rosalie Thomas) ha decidido viajar de Alemania a Fukushima para cambiar su vida. Con su trabajo en la organización Clowns4Help espera llevar un poco de esperanza a los supervivientes del desastre nuclear. Pronto se da cuenta que no está capacitada para hacer más llevadera la tragedia de los afectados. Pero en lugar de huir decide quedarse con la arisca anciana Satomi (Kaori Momoi), la última geisha de Fukushima que decidió volver a su casa en ruinas en la antigua zona de exclusión. Dos mujeres totalmente diferentes pero que, cada una a su modo, están atrapadas en el pasado y deben aprender a liberarse de la culpa y de la carga de los recuerdos.
Costume Design
Years after she related to him the story of her parents’ death in a fire, for which – rightly or wrongly – she feels responsible, Japanese psychiatrist Dr. Sanada meets his former patient Azusa once again. Back then, she lambasted him for being wrong for the job. Back then, he let slip that she isn’t actually crazy. Now she’s a prostitute living in precarious circumstances in Los Angeles and is accused of murder, with her memories once again moving inexorably towards a fire. Sanada assesses her in the presence of an investigator who appears not to understand Japanese. Is Azusa now mentally ill for real? Was she back then? And why does the description of her tormentors upset him so?
Art Direction
Years after she related to him the story of her parents’ death in a fire, for which – rightly or wrongly – she feels responsible, Japanese psychiatrist Dr. Sanada meets his former patient Azusa once again. Back then, she lambasted him for being wrong for the job. Back then, he let slip that she isn’t actually crazy. Now she’s a prostitute living in precarious circumstances in Los Angeles and is accused of murder, with her memories once again moving inexorably towards a fire. Sanada assesses her in the presence of an investigator who appears not to understand Japanese. Is Azusa now mentally ill for real? Was she back then? And why does the description of her tormentors upset him so?
Editor
Years after she related to him the story of her parents’ death in a fire, for which – rightly or wrongly – she feels responsible, Japanese psychiatrist Dr. Sanada meets his former patient Azusa once again. Back then, she lambasted him for being wrong for the job. Back then, he let slip that she isn’t actually crazy. Now she’s a prostitute living in precarious circumstances in Los Angeles and is accused of murder, with her memories once again moving inexorably towards a fire. Sanada assesses her in the presence of an investigator who appears not to understand Japanese. Is Azusa now mentally ill for real? Was she back then? And why does the description of her tormentors upset him so?
Screenplay
Years after she related to him the story of her parents’ death in a fire, for which – rightly or wrongly – she feels responsible, Japanese psychiatrist Dr. Sanada meets his former patient Azusa once again. Back then, she lambasted him for being wrong for the job. Back then, he let slip that she isn’t actually crazy. Now she’s a prostitute living in precarious circumstances in Los Angeles and is accused of murder, with her memories once again moving inexorably towards a fire. Sanada assesses her in the presence of an investigator who appears not to understand Japanese. Is Azusa now mentally ill for real? Was she back then? And why does the description of her tormentors upset him so?
Azusa
Years after she related to him the story of her parents’ death in a fire, for which – rightly or wrongly – she feels responsible, Japanese psychiatrist Dr. Sanada meets his former patient Azusa once again. Back then, she lambasted him for being wrong for the job. Back then, he let slip that she isn’t actually crazy. Now she’s a prostitute living in precarious circumstances in Los Angeles and is accused of murder, with her memories once again moving inexorably towards a fire. Sanada assesses her in the presence of an investigator who appears not to understand Japanese. Is Azusa now mentally ill for real? Was she back then? And why does the description of her tormentors upset him so?
Director
Years after she related to him the story of her parents’ death in a fire, for which – rightly or wrongly – she feels responsible, Japanese psychiatrist Dr. Sanada meets his former patient Azusa once again. Back then, she lambasted him for being wrong for the job. Back then, he let slip that she isn’t actually crazy. Now she’s a prostitute living in precarious circumstances in Los Angeles and is accused of murder, with her memories once again moving inexorably towards a fire. Sanada assesses her in the presence of an investigator who appears not to understand Japanese. Is Azusa now mentally ill for real? Was she back then? And why does the description of her tormentors upset him so?
Narrator (voice)
In EDO, the fabulous wonderland where only men exist, the most beautiful courtesan is Shiratori Dayū. His apprentice's suicide made him desolate, and he finds love when he meets the most popular and sexy candy boy, Furimatsu, at the "Candy Shop." However, the town of EDO bans romantic relationships, and a rare disease starts to spread.
Setsuko / Lucy
Setsuko, a 55-year-old single 'office lady' in Tokyo, is given a blonde wig and a new identity, 'Lucy,' by her young unconventional English instructor. 'Lucy' awakens desires Setsuko never knew she had. When the instructor suddenly disappears, Setsuko must come to terms with what remains--herself.
Oki
Psychological thriller connecting three different people in the mysterious vortex, trying to untangle the dramatic fight of border between the truth and fantasy. Rob, a former real estate broker, unemployed, starts following a strange Japanese woman, Oki, who constantly moves from house to house. He drags his roommate Wylie into the investigation during which they have to face the dark past and curse of Oki, while dealing with the history of their own.
Mitsuko Kajima
Una vez terminada la Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945), el prestigioso general Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) y un colega suyo (Matthew Fox) tendrán que decidir el destino del emperador japonés Hirohito.
Hiroko Tada
Adaptación de un popular manga sobre una joven estrella que llegará a incrementar su paso por la cirugía plástica para mantener su imagen.
(segment "Heartquake")
In memory of the Japanese earthquake on 3.11, each director presents a 3 minute and 11 second short film in tribute to those who were lost that day.
Director
In memory of the Japanese earthquake on 3.11, each director presents a 3 minute and 11 second short film in tribute to those who were lost that day.
Teran Plains' village was attacked by a giant starving Gerold, and the village's youngster, Peck, sought Toriko for help. But lying ahead in wait is something much more ferocious and hideous than just a Gerold.
Amaya
One week in one of the most exotic and picturesque cities of the world. The day of changes comes when Amaya meets a charming Englishman, Paul and it dramatically changes Amaya's perception of her cultural and personal identity.
One day, a mother who used to be hospitalized in Tokyo comes to Kashihara city in Nara prefecture to find her son. But the only clue she has is the digital camera which her son forgot at the hospital.
Yuichiro wants to be an film director but his widowed mother wants him to become a doctor. As radiation leaks permeate the city, he tries to clear his debts by signing up for a dangerous medical experiment...
Isuzu Hibino
Subaru and her twin brother Kazuma share a dream in becoming ballet dancers, but their passion is discouraged by their father. After Kazuma's death from a hereditary illness, dancing became Subaru's only happiness and she yearns to lose herself in dance. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she runs into cabaret owner Isuzu, who recognizes the talent in Subaru and trains her in her nightspot. But to become a professional ballerina, Subaru has to overcome harsher challenges than merely satisfying the cabaret drunkards. Spurred on by her rivaling dance companions, Subaru enters an international dance competition, to vie for recognition and a scholarship to any top ballet company in the world. Subaru and her companions soon discover that there are more to compete than the championship, and tests of friendship, betrayal and self-worth come one after another. Gradually the youngsters learn about themselves as dancers, as persons and as friends.
Recently appointed dean at a film school, Kimuro Hajime develops a special concern for one of his students, Daisuke. The brash, headstrong young man is fixated on with the Second World War. He feels a sense of frustration at the irrational sacrifice of young people's lives during the war six decades earlier. Daisuke finds that he can vent his frustrations to Kimuro, who experienced the war firsthand. Kimuro's wife, Emiko, is also troubled by memories of the war. She lost a loved one in the war and has never gotten over it. And Kimuro himself also has something from the past that he has yet to face. He believes that the burden of his unresolved past will eventually be the death of him. When Daisuke's neurosis causes him to quit school, life changes for all three of them.
Ruriko
Remake libre de "Django", western de Sergio Corbucci. La cinta narra la Guerra Genpei, en la que los clanes rivales Minamoto y Taira se enfrentaron en el año 1.100 en Japón. Cuando la tensión llegue a un punto insostenible, un pistolero sin nombre pisará las calles polvorientas de la ciudad de Yuta...
the President of Toraoh
Korean-Japanese director Gu Su Yeon makes his directorial debut with the mouthwateringly delicious The Yakiniku Movie: Bulgogi. As the title clearly states, pride of place goes to juicy, bite-sized meat, and viewers will get a delightful eyeful of food, food, and more food in this fabulously fulfilling gourmet comedy. Reveling in Japan's love for food-themed shows, the film revolves around a culinary battle of David and Goliath proportions, cheekily parodying Japanese cooking shows with Iron Chef-like editing, excited running commentary, and comedic how-to segments. The Yakiniku Movie also shines a light on the food culture of Japan's resident Korean population, proving that tasty food transcends all boundaries.
Comedy about a woman who finds a new life after she loses her busband.
Writer
Comedy about a woman who finds a new life after she loses her busband.
Director
Comedy about a woman who finds a new life after she loses her busband.
Ine Hatano
Yamada cierra su trilogía sobre samurais con esta historia acerca de un fuerte servidor del Shogun que pierde la vista en una misión. Su mujer, por la que siente devoción, se sacrifica para salvar su honor. Ahora el samurái promete venganza por su amor perdido y por su honor como guerrero.
Mother
Japón, 1929. Chiyo, una niña de nueve años, es vendida por sus padres para trabajar en la casa de Geishas de Nitta Okiya. Su hermana mayor Satsu no es aceptada y es enviada a un prostíbulo. En la casa Chiyo conoce a Pumpkin, otra niña que va a ser instruida para ser geisha, así como a las famosas geishas Hatsumomo y su rival Mameha. Los comienzos de Chiyo son duros, pero un encuentro con el que será el amor de su vida, el Presidente, hará que desde ese momento sólo desee convertirse en una famosa geisha para estar más cerca de él.
Empress Kojun
Biographical film depicting Japanese Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) during the final days of World War II. The film is the third drama in director Aleksandr Sokurov's trilogy, which included Taurus about the Soviet Union's Vladimir Lenin and Moloch about Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler.
Chika IV
When her husband is hospitalized with tuberculosis, Chika has a series of three relationships: with a teacher in her hometown, with a student in Tokyo, and with an aging gangster.
Kayo
Saya
El grito de Izo resuena en el lugar de ejecución, donde acaba de ser crucificado acusado de un asesinato. Muere, pero deja una profunda maldición. Su alma no puede ir al cielo ni al infierno, y quedará flotando en el espacio y el tiempo. Años después un vagabundo aparece entre los edificios. Es la reencarnación de Izo y tiene un claro objetivo: matar... (FILMAFFINITY)
Toyoko Masukawa
The four Takezawa sisters discover that their father has an illegitimate child so they hire a private detective to investigate.
Chikako Ishizu, the Detective
Junko nació con una enfermedad mental: pirokinesis. Quema todo lo que se le pone al alcance, incluso personas. Junko está enamorada de Kazuki, un joven con el que trabaja. Su hermana fue asesinada y Masaki sospecha de ella, pero la policía no encuentra indicios suficientes para arrestarla. Cuando Kazuki descubra los poderes de Junko, los aprovechará para vengarse...
Marianne
A group of disparate characters find themselves trapped overnight on a island somewhere off the coast of mainland China. The circumstances force them to overlook their preconceptions of one another, and they forge a kinship that goes to the heart their identities.
A film based on two short stories by Shiina Makoto. Tadon is the story of a cab-driver who spends his days listening to his passengers' conversations. Chikuwa is about a writer who faces a creativity bottleneck.
A large, dinosaur-like monster has risen from Tokyo Bay and attacked the city. As the government collapses into chaos, the people of a rural town in Fukui Prefecture, from whose perspective we see the entire movie, watch as the events unfold on TV. Some decide to run for their lives, some take it as a sign of the apocalypse, some go completely crazy, but most of the townspeople wait and watch, and wonder where the monster will head next.
Takako Nakaura
A love story written by an ordinary housewife is going to be broadcast as a radio drama and almost everyone among the crew insists on changing various parts of the play to their liking.
Saki
Filmed somewhat in documentary style, it follows three girls over the span of one day and night in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. Jonko runs a group of high school girls involved in paid dating, Raku is a street dancer, and Togo was brought up in the US and back in Japan for one year wants to escape to New York. Their contact with the world of talent scouts and yakuza places them in danger.
Tami Ohsawa
Hamanaka Koichi returns to his wife Hisako and family in a sadder, run-down section of eastern Tokyo after having run away from home years before. He gives no explanation of his absence and his family asks no questions. It is only through the questions that a young writer named Asakura, who is secretly in love with Hisako, poses of local shop owners, that we learn that Hamanaka's disappearance may be related to the fact that the woman everyone thought he would marry, Tami - who runs the cafe across the street from the Hamanaka electric store - had ended up tying the knot with another man who died soon thereafter.
Making-of documentary for Swallowtail Butterfly
Suzukino
Ambientada en un decadente barrio futurista de Tokio, Yentown. Después de que fallezca su madre, una prostituta se hace cargo de la hija de ésta, dándole el nombre de Mariposa. Comenzará a trabajar para un negocio por el que pasan todo tipo de despojos sociales...
Fujimoto's mother
There still stands a famous apartment building where such prominent manga artists as Tezuka Osamu, Shotaro Ishinomori and Fujio Akatsuka once lived, worked, and shared experiences.
Akemi Tanaka
14 year old Nakamura is sexually abused by her stepfather. She invents a friend who is coming to her rescue when she really needs it.
Tanaka is a yakuza who collects 'protection money' from establishments. He has just been released from jail, where he had spent eight years, and finds out that his boss wants to get rid of him. Tanaka is not an archetypal yakuza; he travels by public transport. But he does have two mistresses: Ayumi, who runs a nightclub, and Yoshie, a brothel-keeper. When Tanaka's boss ends up in hospital, second man Kurauchi exerts increasing pressure on Tanaka. Tanaka deliberately has himself wounded by a fighter to dodge several of Kurauchi's demands.
Based on the comic Red Colored Elegy by Seiichi Hayashi
An anthology exploring the meaning of the Japanese greeting goaisatsu.
Director
An anthology exploring the meaning of the Japanese greeting goaisatsu.
Ritsuko
A middle-aged man discovers an injured refugee woman trembling in the corner of his bar in Kabukicho. He quickly becomes aware that her life is in his hands when he learns she is hiding from the yakuza.
Moeko
Ryoko, a free-spirited 23-year-old woman, quits her job after being caught having an affair with a co-worker and finds herself on the street. She comes to Tokyo, relying on her aunt Moeko, a career woman who works as a manager at a major city bank. The two, who have completely different personalities, quarrel constantly whenever they see each other.
Tsuruko Miura
On August 9, 1945, the Americans dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. This film, based on a story by Mitsukaru Inoue, describes the daily life of people in Nagasaki the day before that fateful event. It presents the human drama of people's lives, and their feelings of joy and sadness. These include a newlywed couple, an expectant mother, and lovers who must say farewell because the boy is called to serve in the army. Each of these people, like others in the city, hoped to live with their dreams for ‘tomorrow’. But tomorrow never comes for them, as their lives are brought to an abrupt and unexpected end. Knowing how the story ends, in this case, doesn't detract from it at all; rather, it enhances the emotional impact, which is further heightened by the poignant musical score from Teizo Matsumura. 'Ashita' is the first film in Kazuo Kuroki's 'War Requiem Trilogy,' which also includes 'Utsukushii Natsu Kirishima' (2002) and 'Chichi to Kuraseba' (2004).
Chikako Koga
Yuichi Koga is an upper-class business executive, running his own adult video company, and living a successful life with his wife and daughter. Outwardly, his family seems really happy, but in reality Yuichi enjoys sex with everyone but his wife Chikako. One day, he gets a phone call from a woman named Sanae, an old elementary school classmate of his.
Noriko Kimura
Set in Japan during the bubble era, this unique home comedy cheerfully and humorously depicts the daily life of a strange family that works together to accumulate a small amount of money, while mixing irony and satire.
Reiko Caine
Tatsuhiko and Shofumi are hoodlums living in downtown Hawaii, who have flown out of Japan and entered the country illegally for a reason. The two make a living by trafficking marijuana under the pretext of selling tea leaves, but they are in a foreign land where they don't speak the language well.
The story revolves around a hardcore Onyanko Club fanatic who decides he wants to kill the girls to prevent the young, cute idols from getting old and married - in a sense, to preserve their youth for eternity.
Stuck doing show-biz schlock, an investigative reporter stumbles on a scheme to swindle pensions through an attractive gold futures scam, a potential news-story.
Mitsuko Ishii
On the night of August 19, 1980, a bus was set on fire by the vagrant Hirofumi Maruyama at the Shinjuku West Exit Bus Terminal. In the burning flames, Mitsuko, who was exhausted by her affair, suddenly thought of suicide. As a result, she escaped too late from the bus and suffered a serious injury. From there, she was hospitalized for a long time. As she gradually recovered, the wife of her affair partner, Soroku Sugihara, died of cancer. Soroku proposed to Mitsuko again, and they lived together. Due to Soroku's mounting debt, they decided to flee to Tojinbo. With the desperate persuasion of her acquaintances, Mitsuko regained her desire to "live again."
Kayoko Ise
A kindergarten teacher meets a novice magician and together they travel to another city to find love.
Young Girl's Mother
A man and a little girl meet in a bicycle parking in Tokyo. The little girl says she wants to watch the sea, and their travel begins. The man does not intend to be a kidnapper – he asks the girl to phone her mother and tell her she's with him. During their trip they meet various people, but they always must continue on, lest the man be arrested.
Kumako Onizawa
A car going at 25 mph plunges into the sea at Shinko Harbour, Toyama prefecture. Inside is the local business magnate Fukutaro Shirakawa, who perishes. Riding alongside him and surviving unhurt is his second wife, Kumako. It soon comes to light that Kumako’s husband was insured for 300 million yen and she is arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband for the insurance money. The newspapers denounce her as an evil woman, while the public is in no doubt about Kumako’s crime. Ritsuko Sahara is chosen as her defence attorney but the pair clash over almost everything...
Kaoru
Mid 50s: the trials and tribulations of Shinsuke Ibuki, freshly arrived in Tokyo from Kyushu.
Ine
The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji Restoration. It examines the effects of the political and social upheaval of the time, and culminates in a revelrous march on the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which turns into a massacre. Characteristically, Imamura focuses not on the leaders of the country, but on characters in the lower classes and on the fringes of society.
Sugiko Emori
Intellectual collegue professor Sasa becomes obsessed with beautiful Sugiko, a virgin. Eventually, luring her to a love hotel.
Otsuyanokata
El poderoso Daimyō Takeda Shingen ha alcanzado tanta fama como el lema escrito en sus estandartes de guerra: "Rápido como el viento, sereno como el bosque, fiero como el fuego, inmóvil como la montaña". Mientras yace agonizante por las heridas sufridas en el combate, Shingen ordena a sus guerreros que encuentren un doble o sosias que le sustituya, para mantener su inminente muerte en secreto e impedir que sus enemigos (Oda Nobunaga y Tokugawa Ieyasu) aprovechen la circunstancia para atacar. El kagemusha (la sombra del guerrero) elegido por el Clan Takeda es un pequeño delincuente (Tatsuya Nakadai) que debe hacerse pasar por un gran líder y erigirse en comandante de una gran alianza de 25.000 samuráis.
Sayoko Morisaki
Sayoko is desperate to bear a child of her own, but her live-in boyfriend Shinsaku strenuously objects to the idea. One day, someone leaves behind a six-year-old child at their door, claiming that Shinsaku—or four other men—is the child's father! Sayoko and Shinsaku set out on a journey to find the real father.
Mariko
Mariko is living the life of a typical Japanese college student in the 70's, spending far more of her time balancing boyfriends and part-time jobs than on her schoolwork. She finds herself torn between a former boyfriend who's the tough, insensitive-but-sexy, type, and a new acquaintance who's more sensitive to her feelings, but who still acts childishly selfish at times. Will she choose one of them, or decide to go her own way?
Hitomi
Tora-san helps out a runaway bride.
Akemi Ogawa
Mientras conducen por Hokkaido sin rumbo fijo, una pareja de jóvenes -que acaban de conocerse- se encuentran con Yusaku, un tranquilo y reservado hombre de mediana edad al que aceptan como compañero de viaje. Poco a poco, irá revelándose el pasado de Yusaku, que acaba de salir de prisión tras cumplir condena por asesinato, y que intenta volver al hogar con su mujer. Si ella espera su regreso, habrá colgado un pañuelo amarillo en la puerta de la casa. De no ser así, él deberá dar media vuelta sin haberla visto...
Ikuko Ishikawa
Though his parents help him run the family business, Jun still feels persecuted by their love; when they bar him from meeting with his girlfriend, tensions increase.
Fujiko
Two semi-slackers with an ultra-intimate friendship work, slack and drink in a freezing Hokkaido town.
Hirobe is a lonely man. After witnessing her girlfriend die with a terminal illness, he wanders through the city like a shadow. One day, he meets Masako and they begin an affair. Masako is in an unhappy marriage with Yazawa, who is also cheating on her with a younger lover. The tension builds up to an unforgiving, yet quiet climax...
Tae
Story of the last three days in the life of Sakamoto Ryoma (1836-1867), imperial loyalist who tried to unite the Choshu and Satsuma clans and prepared the way for the Meiji Restoration (1868).
Tomiko Ohashi
A footballing law student tutors an undergraduate, developing into a romance that soon enough goes awry.
Etsuko
Yukie, Koichi and Akira are rogues looking for a place to crash. They move into a house which Etsuko (Kaori Momoi) inherited from her parents. Soon after getting settled, the hippies slip into a communal lifestyle. They eat, have sex, and generally share everything together.
A young outlaw can’t escape his rebellious past despite connections to a well to do family.
A rebel youth joins a duo of entertainers only able to communicate by gesturing; when the female performer is suddenly abducted, he and Takeru must take action.
A Japanese girl and a French boy make strides in overcoming the cultural barriers that prevent them from fully expressing the love they have for one another.
