グレイトフルデッド, 2013 / 98 minutes / Director: Eiji Uchida / Writers: Etsuro Hiratani, Eiji Uchida Starring Kumi Takiuchi, Takashi Sasano, Kim Kkobbi Available from Third Window Films on DVD and Blu-Ray now, Greatful Dead is a Japanese American Pyscho for the Abenomics age. Imagine walking into the house of someone you’ve been secretly eyeballing for some time, only to find … [Read more...]
Natsukashii! – Beautiful Film Journey from Kyoto to Tokyo, through Nara
AmnesiArt is a film and Fine Art photography production composed by Nick Arcivos and Ryan Earl. Love Japan? This must-see short film gives you the opportunity to explore the country through Tokyo, symbol of modernity, Nara and Kyoto, the cultural capital. Nick and Ryan to discovered the rich culture of Japan; its fascinating architecture and friendly people. The idea … [Read more...]
‘Akage no An’ – ‘Anne of Japan’ Film Kickstarter Campaign
The mischievous, red-haired orphan known as 'Anne of Green Gables', from the bestselling 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, is big in Japan. This isn't news to most Japanese people, who know her fondly as Akage no An (literally 'Red-haired Anne') but it’s surprising how often I’ll mention the fact to a fellow Canadian to be met with a vague smile of … [Read more...]
‘The Woodsman and the Rain’ DVD Review
Kitsutsuki to Ame, 2011 / 129 minutes / Director and Writer: Shuichi Okita Starring Koji Yakusho, Shun Oguri, Kengo Kora, Asami Usuda, Kanji Furrutachi, Tsutomi Yamazaki Third Window Films are pleased to announce the DVD & BLU-RAY release on 28 Jan 2013. Sometimes friendships come along at exactly the right time and teach us what is most genuinely needed to help us … [Read more...]
‘I Just Didn’t Do It’ Film Review
Soredemo Boku Wa Yattenai, 2007/143 minutes/ Director and Writer: Masayuki Suo Starring Ryo Kase, Asaka Seto, Koji Yamamoto, Masako Motai, Koji Yakusho Along with Confessions of a Dog, I Just Didn’t Do It is a damning indictment of the Japanese legal system. The audience palpably gasped at some of the more appalling scenes of unfathomable injustice and clapped as Masayuki … [Read more...]
‘Confessions’ Film Review
Confessions - Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, 2010. Japan's Official Entry for the 2011 Academy Awards. If you think that a teacher revengefully lacing students’ milk with her late former lover’s HIV-positive blood is as macabre and horrific as it gets, the final scenes of Confessions will have you hooked and gripped to your seat in uneasy disbelief. The film, based on a … [Read more...]
Zipangu Fest 2012 announces ‘Beyond Anime’ lineup
Zipangu Fest is pleased to announce the return of its celebrated 'Beyond Anime' section returns for its third year with 4 works that are testaments to the enormous wealth of creativity, imagination and dedication within the world of Japanese independent animation. Midori-ko (2010) is set in a world facing chronic food shortages, where a motley crew of scientists are hard at … [Read more...]
A Very Brief Guide to ‘Japanese London’!
1. Conversation exchange evenings By far the largest is ‘The London Japanese Language Meetup Group’ which regularly attracts a diverse crowd of up to 100 on the second Tuesday of each month. It’s a sprawling, free event held in a pub off Leicester Square. You can find out more on the www.meetup.com website. For a more structured approach, try the ‘JCG (Japanese … [Read more...]