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Fri 2 - Sun 11 Feb 2024
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024
Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema
The UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP24), returns with its biggest showcase ever.
Memories play a powerful role in the mind. Shaped fluidly by individuals or time, they have been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, fuelling their creativity to craft colourful stories. The JFTFP24 delves into Japanese cinema to explore how memories are employed in the cinematic voices of Japanese filmmakers, from films where memories are a focal point to works where they play a subliminal role in driving or affecting people’s minds and behaviour.
With an incredibly diverse range of films all based on memories, time, and reflections, this year’s programme is set to provide UK audiences with memorable stories and unforgettable moments.
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024
Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema
The UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP24), returns with its biggest showcase ever.
Memories play a powerful role in the mind. Shaped fluidly by individuals or time, they have been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, fuelling their creativity to craft colourful stories. The JFTFP24 delves into Japanese cinema to explore how memories are employed in the cinematic voices of Japanese filmmakers, from films where memories are a focal point to works where they play a subliminal role in driving or affecting people’s minds and behaviour.
With an incredibly diverse range of films all based on memories, time, and reflections, this year’s programme is set to provide UK audiences with memorable stories and unforgettable moments.
Programme
Fri 2 Feb, 6.10pm
A Man ある男
Divorcee Rie (Ando Sakura) returns to her hometown, where she remarries Daisuke (Kubota Masataka). They live together happily until Daisuke is killed and Rie is told that Daisuke is not who he claimed to be.
Fri 2 Feb, 8.50pm
Tue 6 Feb, 8.40pm
Hand 手
Sawako (Fukunaga Akari) is a 25-year-old office worker whose relationship with her father has long remained uneasy. She has a passion for older men, often dating and collecting photos of their hands, but as she grows close to her young co-worker (Kaneko Daichi), her feelings begin to transform.
Sat 3 Feb, 1.30pm
Twilight Cinema Blues 銀平町シネマブルース
Penniless Kondo’s (Koide Keisuke) encounter with homeless movie enthusiast Sato (Uno Shohei) leads the young Kondo to take a job at the Ginpei Scala Theatre, a small independent cinema on the verge of closure.
Sat 3 Feb, 3.30pm
Sabakan サバカン
Hisada’s memories of his childhood are bittersweet: in the summer of 1986, he befriended Takemoto Kenji (Harada Konosuke) from a shanty house, and the two embarked on a mini-adventure together, unaware that their childhood innocence was soon to be shattered.
Sat 3 Feb, 5.30pm
Undercurrent アンダーカレント
Kanae (Maki Yoko) struggles to manage a bathhouse after her husband’s (Nagayama Eita) disappearance, haunted by her childhood memories. Things take an interesting turn when Hori (Iura Arata) arrives, seeking work and shelter.
Sat 3 Feb, 8.20pm
Thu 8 Feb, 8.10pm
From the End of the World 世界の終わりから
Hana (Ito Aoi), a high school girl engulfed in misery and devoid of hope, is one day approached by a special agent telling her she can save the world.
Sun 4 Feb, 1.20pm
Voices in the Wind 風の電話
Eight years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, emotionally scarred Haru (Serena Motola) silently embarks on a 1,300 km solo hitchhiking journey to her hometown of Otsuchi, where her family died. Guided by an unseen force, will the journey help heal her pain?
Sun 4 Feb, 4pm
The Snow Flurry 風花
Haruko (Kishi Keiko) attempts a double suicide with a son of the respectable Nagura family. Having survived and become an outcast, she has to raise their son, Suteo (Kawazu Yusuke), alone.
Sun 4 Feb, 5.40pm
Ice Cream Fever アイスクリームフィーバー + Q&A
Four women from different generations have their lives intertwined at an ice cream shop in Tokyo.
Sun 4 Feb, 8.30pm
The Inerasable 残穢 -住んではいけない部屋-
A novelist specialising in ghost stories (Takeuchi Yuko) receives a letter from Ms. Kubo (Hashimoto Ai), who explains that she often hears strange noises in her room. Together, the two of them investigate the horrifying truth behind Kubo’s room and its past inhabitants in this highly-praised horror mystery.
Tue 6 Feb, 6.15pm
Ripples 波紋
Yoriko (Tsutsui Mariko) leads a relatively ordinary life until her husband and son leave home for their own reasons. In order to fill the void, Yoriko devotes herself to a new religious cult, but the peace she regains is disrupted by the return of her estranged family members, driving her to breaking point.
Wed 7 Feb, 6.15pm
Thu 8 Feb, 4pm
The Lump in My Heart あつい胸さわぎ
As teenager Chinatsu (Yoshida Mizuki) works on an assignment about her first love, the bittersweet memories of her childhood crush play on her mind. Meanwhile, Chinatsu’s single mother Akiko (Tokiwa Takako) grows worried, as Chinatsu is to be retested for breast cancer.
Wed 7 Feb, 8.15pm
Thousand and One Nights 千夜、一夜
Ever since Tomiko’s (Tanaka Yuko) husband disappeared without a trace, she has drifted aimlessly through life, until she meets Nami (Ono Machiko), whose husband also vanished.
Thu 8 Feb, 6pm
Hoarder On The Border 断捨離パラダイス
The lives of extreme hoarders revolve around Ritsuki (Shinoda Ryo) as he takes on a new path with a specialised cleaning crew for hoarder houses.
Fri 9 Feb, 6.10pm
Do Unto Others ロストケア + Q&A
A shocking mystery unfolds as bodies are discovered, implicating dedicated caregiver Shiba Munenori (Matsuyama Kenichi) in the deaths of 42 elderly patients.
Fri 9 Feb, 9pm
Mondays: See You ‘This’ Week! MONDAYS / このタイムループ、上司に気づかせないと終わらない
Endless deadlines, sleepless nights – Akemi (Marui Wan) and all her co-workers are trapped in a bizarre office time loop where the same week repeats over and over again.
Sat 10 Feb, 1pm
Hit Me Anyone One More Time! 記憶にございません!
ne day, the widely-despised Prime Minister of Japan, Kuroda Keisuke (Nakai Kiichi), wakes up in a hospital, unable to recall any details of his life thus far.
Sat 10 Feb, 3.30pm
The Fish Tale さかなのこ
Follow Meebo (Non), whose eccentric yet endearing passion for fish quite often leaves him out of touch with society, on a journey through childhood and into adulthood in this humorously quirky and heartfelt coming-of-age story.
Sat 10 Feb, 6.10pm
Winny
Kaneko (Higashide Masahiro) is the genius programmer behind Winny, a revolutionary file-sharing program. However, he is arrested for enabling the copyright violations committed by Winny’s users, beginning a legal battle to save his life and his reputation in this cinematic retelling of a true story.
Sat 10 Feb, 8.45pm
Shadow of Fire ほかげ
Immediately after the war, in Tokyo, where everything is in chaos and destitution, a war orphan (Tsukao Oga) sneaks into a tavern where a woman (Shuri) sells her body to survive. Gradually, they form a bond, but their fragile peace is soon shattered…
Sun 11 Feb, 1pm
The Zen Diary 土を喰らう十二カ月
Tsutomu (Sawada Kenji) is a writer living in a secluded mountain cabin. Unable to confront the loss of his wife, he has instead devoted himself to farming and cooking, skills he learned as a young monk, until a series of incidents awaken new emotions inside him.
Sun 11 Feb, 3.20pm
YOKO 658km、陽子の旅
Yoko (Kikuchi Rinko) is a 42-year-old recluse living in Tokyo. Having held a grudge against her father for 20 years, she is one day notified of his passing. Reluctantly, she embarks on a journey to Hirosaki in order to attend his funeral.
Sun 11 Feb, 5.50pm
Lonely Castle in the Mirror かがみの孤城
Kokoro (voiced by Toma Ami), a bullied middle schooler, isolates herself in her room until her room’s mirror transports her to a mysterious castle.
Sun 11 Feb, 8.15pm
Egoist エゴイスト
Kosuke (Suzuki Ryohei), a fashion editor with an air of superiority, falls in love with Ryuta (Miyazawa Hio), his young and attractive personal trainer. They share moments together, sometimes including Ryuta’s single mother. However, their love is disrupted when Ryuta unexpectedly misses their planned date.
Fri 2 Feb, 6.10pm
A Man ある男
Divorcee Rie (Ando Sakura) returns to her hometown, where she remarries Daisuke (Kubota Masataka). They live together happily until Daisuke is killed and Rie is told that Daisuke is not who he claimed to be.
Fri 2 Feb, 8.50pm
Tue 6 Feb, 8.40pm
Hand 手
Sawako (Fukunaga Akari) is a 25-year-old office worker whose relationship with her father has long remained uneasy. She has a passion for older men, often dating and collecting photos of their hands, but as she grows close to her young co-worker (Kaneko Daichi), her feelings begin to transform.
Sat 3 Feb, 1.30pm
Twilight Cinema Blues 銀平町シネマブルース
Penniless Kondo’s (Koide Keisuke) encounter with homeless movie enthusiast Sato (Uno Shohei) leads the young Kondo to take a job at the Ginpei Scala Theatre, a small independent cinema on the verge of closure.
Sat 3 Feb, 3.30pm
Sabakan サバカン
Hisada’s memories of his childhood are bittersweet: in the summer of 1986, he befriended Takemoto Kenji (Harada Konosuke) from a shanty house, and the two embarked on a mini-adventure together, unaware that their childhood innocence was soon to be shattered.
Sat 3 Feb, 5.30pm
Undercurrent アンダーカレント
Kanae (Maki Yoko) struggles to manage a bathhouse after her husband’s (Nagayama Eita) disappearance, haunted by her childhood memories. Things take an interesting turn when Hori (Iura Arata) arrives, seeking work and shelter.
Sat 3 Feb, 8.20pm
Thu 8 Feb, 8.10pm
From the End of the World 世界の終わりから
Hana (Ito Aoi), a high school girl engulfed in misery and devoid of hope, is one day approached by a special agent telling her she can save the world.
Sun 4 Feb, 1.20pm
Voices in the Wind 風の電話
Eight years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, emotionally scarred Haru (Serena Motola) silently embarks on a 1,300 km solo hitchhiking journey to her hometown of Otsuchi, where her family died. Guided by an unseen force, will the journey help heal her pain?
Sun 4 Feb, 4pm
The Snow Flurry 風花
Haruko (Kishi Keiko) attempts a double suicide with a son of the respectable Nagura family. Having survived and become an outcast, she has to raise their son, Suteo (Kawazu Yusuke), alone.
Sun 4 Feb, 5.40pm
Ice Cream Fever アイスクリームフィーバー + Q&A
Four women from different generations have their lives intertwined at an ice cream shop in Tokyo.
Sun 4 Feb, 8.30pm
The Inerasable 残穢 -住んではいけない部屋-
A novelist specialising in ghost stories (Takeuchi Yuko) receives a letter from Ms. Kubo (Hashimoto Ai), who explains that she often hears strange noises in her room. Together, the two of them investigate the horrifying truth behind Kubo’s room and its past inhabitants in this highly-praised horror mystery.
Tue 6 Feb, 6.15pm
Ripples 波紋
Yoriko (Tsutsui Mariko) leads a relatively ordinary life until her husband and son leave home for their own reasons. In order to fill the void, Yoriko devotes herself to a new religious cult, but the peace she regains is disrupted by the return of her estranged family members, driving her to breaking point.
Wed 7 Feb, 6.15pm
Thu 8 Feb, 4pm
The Lump in My Heart あつい胸さわぎ
As teenager Chinatsu (Yoshida Mizuki) works on an assignment about her first love, the bittersweet memories of her childhood crush play on her mind. Meanwhile, Chinatsu’s single mother Akiko (Tokiwa Takako) grows worried, as Chinatsu is to be retested for breast cancer.
Wed 7 Feb, 8.15pm
Thousand and One Nights 千夜、一夜
Ever since Tomiko’s (Tanaka Yuko) husband disappeared without a trace, she has drifted aimlessly through life, until she meets Nami (Ono Machiko), whose husband also vanished.
Thu 8 Feb, 6pm
Hoarder On The Border 断捨離パラダイス
The lives of extreme hoarders revolve around Ritsuki (Shinoda Ryo) as he takes on a new path with a specialised cleaning crew for hoarder houses.
Fri 9 Feb, 6.10pm
Do Unto Others ロストケア + Q&A
A shocking mystery unfolds as bodies are discovered, implicating dedicated caregiver Shiba Munenori (Matsuyama Kenichi) in the deaths of 42 elderly patients.
Fri 9 Feb, 9pm
Mondays: See You ‘This’ Week! MONDAYS / このタイムループ、上司に気づかせないと終わらない
Endless deadlines, sleepless nights – Akemi (Marui Wan) and all her co-workers are trapped in a bizarre office time loop where the same week repeats over and over again.
Sat 10 Feb, 1pm
Hit Me Anyone One More Time! 記憶にございません!
ne day, the widely-despised Prime Minister of Japan, Kuroda Keisuke (Nakai Kiichi), wakes up in a hospital, unable to recall any details of his life thus far.
Sat 10 Feb, 3.30pm
The Fish Tale さかなのこ
Follow Meebo (Non), whose eccentric yet endearing passion for fish quite often leaves him out of touch with society, on a journey through childhood and into adulthood in this humorously quirky and heartfelt coming-of-age story.
Sat 10 Feb, 6.10pm
Winny
Kaneko (Higashide Masahiro) is the genius programmer behind Winny, a revolutionary file-sharing program. However, he is arrested for enabling the copyright violations committed by Winny’s users, beginning a legal battle to save his life and his reputation in this cinematic retelling of a true story.
Sat 10 Feb, 8.45pm
Shadow of Fire ほかげ
Immediately after the war, in Tokyo, where everything is in chaos and destitution, a war orphan (Tsukao Oga) sneaks into a tavern where a woman (Shuri) sells her body to survive. Gradually, they form a bond, but their fragile peace is soon shattered…
Sun 11 Feb, 1pm
The Zen Diary 土を喰らう十二カ月
Tsutomu (Sawada Kenji) is a writer living in a secluded mountain cabin. Unable to confront the loss of his wife, he has instead devoted himself to farming and cooking, skills he learned as a young monk, until a series of incidents awaken new emotions inside him.
Sun 11 Feb, 3.20pm
YOKO 658km、陽子の旅
Yoko (Kikuchi Rinko) is a 42-year-old recluse living in Tokyo. Having held a grudge against her father for 20 years, she is one day notified of his passing. Reluctantly, she embarks on a journey to Hirosaki in order to attend his funeral.
Sun 11 Feb, 5.50pm
Lonely Castle in the Mirror かがみの孤城
Kokoro (voiced by Toma Ami), a bullied middle schooler, isolates herself in her room until her room’s mirror transports her to a mysterious castle.
Sun 11 Feb, 8.15pm
Egoist エゴイスト
Kosuke (Suzuki Ryohei), a fashion editor with an air of superiority, falls in love with Ryuta (Miyazawa Hio), his young and attractive personal trainer. They share moments together, sometimes including Ryuta’s single mother. However, their love is disrupted when Ryuta unexpectedly misses their planned date.
no. 236848.