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51th Japanese Film Festival
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November 21-28
Formula Kino Horizon 
 The oldest festival of Japanese cinema is held in Moscow for the 51st time. And there is nothing fantastic in such a record time: the world's largest cinematography combines traditions and modern visual language, spirituality and entertainment, exotic and universal humanistic values, poetry and drive. That's why Japanese cinema beloved everywhere, from America to Russia. A new program of nine films includes three sensational premieres and four films united by a theme of music.
At the opening - "Mugen no Junin", the event of the jubilee 70th Cannes Film Festival, a calligraphically honed exercise in the genre of the samurai action film. Its author Takashi Miike does not need special representation: the director-star, for the last decade he, more recently - a desperate provoker and troublemaker, moved to the camp of living classics. At the same time not losing in the stunning energy. "Mugen no Junin", based on the samurai manga, Miike notes his own professional jubilee: this is his 100th film. A lively and fascinating example of a director's code of honor.
"Sandome no Satsujin" is the detective of one more contemporary classic, Hirokazu Koreeda, participant of the 74th Venice Film Festival. An intricate plot in the center of which the relationship of a young lawyer and his client, who too easily agrees with the charge of murder, is a sample of fascinating film fiction. But it would be boring for Koreeda to shoot pure entertainment: the investigation in this film leads not only to establishing the truth, but also to unraveling the tangle of uneasy moral and ethical problems.
The third hit of the program and the third classic of the 51st festival is Kiyoshi Kurosawa with a fantastic horror "Sanpo Suru Shinryakusha", shown in the Cannes program "A special look". This is a majestic and sinister story about an alien invasion. However, the main thing in it is not the coming apocalypse and the bloody tricks of the newcomers, but love. In which both beauty and salvation - of the world and man.
Another part of the program is endlessly charming and attractive. A Buddhist monk who dreams to become a rock musician ("Aburakusasu no Matsuri"); a shy boy, to whom a mystical animal helps to find himself in a brass band ("Gakutai no Usagi"), a successful pianist who discovers pedagogical talent ("Kuchibiru Ni Uta Wo"), a conductor who collects a magnificent orchestra from the ruins ("Maestro!") - all these characters form a single cinematic chorus that sings and plays only the most important thing - the hymns of joy and goodness. The same light of joy is permeated also by two romantic comedies of the festival - "Hakoiri Musuko no Koi" and nostalgically inspired by the unforgettable 1980s "Yokomichi Yonosuke".
The Festival's main base will be Formula Kino Horizont. All films are shown in Japanese with Russian subtitles.
Festival Films:
Mugen no Junin. Action/Drama. Japan, UK 2017, 140 min. Directed by Takashi Miike. Starring: Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi. Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine - the 100th film by master director Takashi Miike. Awards & Festavals: Cannes Film Festival - world premiere; Fantasia Film Festival - Audience Award (2nd Place); Sitges International Film Festival.
Sandome no Satsujin. Drama/Mystery. Japan 2017, 124 min. Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda. Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Kôji Yakusho, Isao Hashizume. Leading attorney Shigemori takes on the defense of murder-robbery suspect Misumi who served jail time for another murder committed thirty years ago. Shigemori’s chances of winning the case seem low—his client freely admits his guilt, despite facing the death penalty if he is convicted. As he digs deeper into the case, as he hears the testimonies of the victim’s family and Misumi himself, the once confident Shigemori begins to doubt whether his client is the murderer after all. Venice Film Festival - participation.
Maestro! Comedy/Drama/Musical. Japan 2015, 129 min. Directed by Shôtarô Kobayashi. Starring: Tôri Matsuzaka, Miwa, Toshiyuki Nishida. Due to the economic recession, the orchestra is shut down. The members hear later that the orchestra will be reformed. Only some of the members, who have not yet been rehired, gather for the orchestra. For the first time since they disbanded the orchestra plays together, but they sound horrible. At that time, the conductor Tetsusaburo Tendo appears in front of them. The orchestra members are not familiar with Tetsusaburo Tendou's background or career. At first, the members of the orchestra are resistant to Tetsusaburo Tendou. They change though as they are brought into Tetsusaburo Tendou’s unprecedented world of music. Except for the concertmaster Shinichi Kousaka, the members of the orchestra, who all have their own wounds and frustrations, recover their confidence.
Hakoiri Musuko no Koi. Comedy/Romance. Japan 2012, 117 min. Directed by Masahide Ichii. Starring: Gen Hoshino, Kaho, Sei Hiraizumi. 35-year-old Kentaro is a social misfit and has never dated a woman in his life. He lives with his parents and holds a modest job in city hall. Kentaro doesn't have any friends, nor received a promotion in 13 years at his place of work. His parents worry about Kentaro being single for the rest of his life. They then go to a parental matchmaking event, hoping to find a woman to introduce to their son. During the meeting, Kentaro's parents has only one other couple approach. The father is Akita Imai and his wife. They exchange profiles of their children. Kentaro's parents are impressed with the Imai's beautiful daughter Naoko. Meanwhile, Akita Imai is the president of a successful company and, after reading Kentaro's bio, believes he is beneath their daughter. The Imais leave, only saying thank you. They also don't reveal to Kentaro's parents that Naoko is blind. Kentaro and Naoko will soon experience love for the first time, but will it be fleeting? Awards: Yokohama International Film Festival - Best New Talent.
Aburakusasu no Matsuri. Comedy/Drama/Musical. Japan 2010, 113 min. Directed by Naoki Katô. Starring: Manami Honjô, Hidetoshi Hoshida, Kaoru Kobayashi. Former punk rocker Jonen, now a Buddhist priest, seems to have lost the meaning of his life. His manic depression handicaps him further. Music seems to be the only solution for him to exorcise his demons, against all obstacles and sound volume controllers. Festivals: Sundance Film Festival - World Dramatic Competition participation.
Kuchibiru Ni Uta Wo. Drama/Musical. Japan 2015, 132 min. Directed by Takahiro Miki. Starring: Yui Aragaki, Fumino Kimura, Kenta Kiritani. Yuri Kashiwaga was once known as a genius pianist. One day, she returns to her hometown in Goto Islands from Tokyo. There, she begins to work as a temporary teacher at a middle school and advisor for the school chorus. The chorus aims to take part at a competition. Yuri gives the members of the chorus members an assignment. She instructs them to write a letter with the title of "To myself 15 years later." The 15-year-old boys and girls write about their secrets and worries.
Sanpo Suru Shinryakusha. Drama/Sci-fi. Japan 2017, 129 min. Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Starring: Masami Nagasawa, Ryûhei Matsuda, Hiroki Hasegawa. The internationally acclaimed director of Tokyo Sonata and Journey to the Shore reinvents the alien movie as a unique and profoundly human tale of love and mystery. Three aliens travel to Earth on a reconnaissance mission in preparation for a mass invasion. Having taken possession of human bodies, the visitors rob their hosts of the very essence of their being – all sense of good, evil, property, family, belonging – leaving psychological and spiritual devastation in their wake. Awards & Festivals: Cannes Fulm Festival - Un certain Reagrd participation; Sitges International Film Festival - participation; Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival.
Gakutai no Usagi. Drama/Musical. Japan 2013, 97 min. Directed by Takuji Suzuki. Starring: Arata Iura, Sawa Suzuki, Masaru Miyazaki. Katsuhisa has an introspective personality. He wants to spend as little time as possible at his junior high school and go home as soon as possible. One day, a mysterious rabbit appears in front of Katsuhisa and leads him to the school's wind band club. He is captivated by their performance. Even though members of the wind band stay after school for practice, Katsuhisa decides to join the band. The groups prepares for a national competition. Awards: Tokyo International Film Festival - Japanese Cinema Splash Award.
Yokomichi Yonosuke. Romance/Comedy. Japan 2013, 160 min. Directed by Shûichi Okita. Starring: Jun Kunimura, Ayumi Itô, Gô Ayano. The year is 1987 and Japan is just reaching the peak of its economic success. Eighteen-year old Yonosuke Yokomichi arrives in Tokyo from Nagasaki. Ordinary in every way possible, he lives in a suburb far from the excitement of the big city and commutes to a university in the center of Tokyo. During his first days at school, Yonosuke befriends Ippei Kuramochi and Yui Akutsu. Soon after, he joins the Samba club and spends his leisure time learning to dance. In the Samba club, Yonosuke meets Kato, who turns out to be gay. Together, they take a driving class where Yoko, a rich girl, shows interest in Yonosuke. But he hardly notices her advances; he is infatuated with party girl Chiharu, an older woman he met by chance. Parallel to the depiction of this year of ordinary college life, the characters are shown sixteen years later in the year 2003. However, missing from these scenes is Yonosuke, who is said to have become a cameraman after college. Awards: Tama Cinema Forum - Best Actress; Blue Ribbon Award - Best Actor; Mainichii Film Award - Best Supporting Actress.
Schedule:
21 November, Tuesday
20:00 Mugen no Junin. Tickets
22 November, Wednesday
19:30 Sandome no Satsujin. Tickets
23 November, Thursday
19:30 Maestro! Tickets
24 November, Friday
19:00 Hakoiri Musuko no Koi. Tickets
21:15 Aburakusasu no Matsuri. Tickets
25 November, Saturday
14:00 Kuchibiru Ni Uta Wo. Tickets
16:30 Mugen no Junin. Tickets
19:15 Sanpo Suru Shinryakusha. Tickets
26 November, Sunday
14:00 Gakutai no Usagi. Tickets
16:00 Sandome no Satsujin. Tickets
18:30 Yokomichi Yonosuke. Tickets
27 November, Monday
19:30 Mugen no Junin. Tickets
28 November, Tuesday
19:30 Sanpo suru shinryakusha. Tickets
More info
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