PRESS RELEASE January 9, 2017 For Immediate Release The Japan Foundation presents: The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2017 Odd Obsessions: Desires, Hopes and Impulses in Japanese Cinema Experience Japan through Cinema 3 February – 29 March 2017, nationwide 3 February – 9 February 2017 at ICA, London Image: Pale Moon (Kami no tsuki), Daihachi Yoshida, 2014 The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme, the largest programme focusing on Japanese cinema in the UK returns in 2017, touring to 15 cities nationwide. Taking inspiration from Charlie Chaplin’s famous quote “Life is a desire, not a meaning”, the programme features an all-encompassing introduction to Japanese cinema through the prism of “desires, hopes and impulses”. From the newly released work, The Mohican Comes Home (2016) by Shuichi Okita to classic example Flora on the Sand (1964) by Ko Nakahira, this year’s programme spans a myriad of genres to present the multiplicity of “wanting” in all its guises and explore a theme that is both prevalent and universal. Also showcasing younger Japanese filmmakers’ talents as well as a popular anime and rare documentary, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2017 promises to not only capture trends in Japanese cinema but also provide a vivid insight into what drives human action. Programme for screenings at ICA, London: Pale Moon (Kami no tsuki) Daihachi Yoshida, 2014 3 Feb 2017 6.30pm Ordinary housewife and bank employee Rika (Rie Miyazawa) turns to a life of crime by embezzling money from clients’ accounts in order to please her young lover. A mischievous dark drama adapted from the bestselling novel by Mitsuyo Kakuta. Destruction Babies (Destruction Babies) Tetsuya Mariko, 2016 3 Feb 2017 8.55pm Delinquent runaway Taira (Yuya Yagira, Nobody Knows) aimlessly roams the streets picking fights with random bystanders. Rallied on by a high schooler, Taira’s street-side scuffles soon turn into a sinister game. Tetsuya Mariko won the Prize for the Best Emerging Director, Locarno International Film Festival for this debut work. Lady Maiko (Maiko wa redii) Masayuki Suo, 2014 4 Feb 2017 1.00pm A My Fair Lady-esque musical directed by Masayuki Suo (Shall We Dance?) capturing the aspirations and struggles of naïve country bumpkin Haruko who strives to become a maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto. Flying Colours (Birigyaru) Nobuhiro Doi, 2015 4 Feb 2017 3.35pm Bottom-of-the-class Sayaka enrols in a cram school to improve her grades but soon sets her sights on passing the entrance exam for Japan’s prestigious Keio University. Based on a nonfiction bestseller, this film depicts Japan’s highly competitive and demanding university entrance exams. The Mohican Comes Home (Mohikan kokyo ni kaeru) Shuichi Okita, 2016 4 Feb 2017 6.00pm Deadbeat rocker Eikichi (Ryuhei Matsuda) returns to his home on a remote island with news that his girlfriend Yuka (Atsuko Maeda) is pregnant. Shortly after, Eikichi’s old-school father becomes bedridden and it is up to helpless Eikichi to make his father happy. Odd Obsession (Kagi) Kon Ichikawa, 1959 4 Feb 2017 8.45pm Winner of the Cannes Special Jury Prize in 1960, this darkly comic drama follows an elderly man with a decreased libido who attempts to sexually satisfy his captivating, younger wife. Based on Junichiro Tanizaki’s sensual and controversial 1956 novel Kagi (“The Key”). A Sparkle of Life (San san) Bunji Sotoyama, 2013 5 Feb 2017 1.00pm Tae, a 77-year-old widow, signs up with a matchmaking service in pursuit of a last chance at love in this romantic comedy, following one pensioner’s attempt to inject a ‘spark’ into her life. A film exploring the hopes and dreams of Japan’s aging population. A Silent Voice (Koe no katachi) Naoko Yamada, 2016 5 Feb 2017 2.40pm An emotional and beautifully animated film following young Shoya, a boy tormented by his past bullying of deaf classmate Shoko. Shoya decides he must see Shoko once more to atone for his sins, but is it already too late? Pieta in the Toilet (Toire no Pieta) Daishi Matsunaga, 2015 5 Feb 2017 5.10pm Young failed painter Hiroshi falls into the depths of despair when he discovers he is incurably ill. One day he meets a teenage girl whose strong will in life gradually sheds light on his own. Inspired by the ‘God of Manga’ Osamu Tezuka’s last diary entry. Kabukicho Love Hotel (Sayonara Kabukicho) Ryuichi Hiroki, 2014 5 Feb 2017 7.50pm A love hotel in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s well-known entertainment district conveniently conceals people with problems; a cleaner who lives with a criminal at large, a pimp and a girl who has run away from home. An ordinary day begins at this extraordinary hotel… A Sparkle of Life (San san) Bunji Sotoyama, 2013 7 Feb 2017 2.00pm Tae, a 77-year-old widow, signs up with a matchmaking service in pursuit of a last chance at love in this romantic comedy, following one pensioner’s attempt to inject a ‘spark’ into her life. A film exploring the hopes and dreams of Japan’s aging population. A Stitch of Life (Tsukuroi tatsu hito) Yukiko Mishima, 2015 7 Feb 2017 6.00pm Following in her grandmother’s footsteps, dressmaker Ichie (Miki Nakatani) tailor-makes clothes for each client using an old sewing machine. One day, a department store asks to turn her clothing into a brand – will Ichie succumb to this big offer? The Mohican Comes Home (Mohikan kokyo ni kaeru) Shuichi Okita, 2016 7 Feb 2017 8.00pm Deadbeat rocker Eikichi (Ryuhei Matsuda) returns to his home on a remote island with news that his girlfriend Yuka (Atsuko Maeda) is pregnant. Shortly after, Eikichi’s old-school father becomes bedridden and it is up to helpless Eikichi to make his father happy. Flora on the Sand (Suna no ue no shokubutsugun) Ko Nakahira, 1964 8 Feb 2017 8.45pm An innovative and erotically charged drama about Ichiro, a man who stumbles into an unsettling affair with a young woman, Akiko, and her sister. Based on a novel by Junnosuke Yoshiyuki, the film foreshadows Nikkatsu’s lucrative ‘Roman Porno’ genre. Tsukiji Wonderland (Tsukiji wandarando) Naotaro Endo, 2016 9 Feb 2017 6.30pm Discover the wonderland of the world’s largest fish market at the heart of Japanese cuisine for over 80 years. A documentary capturing the pride and determination of the people working at Tsukiji prior to its planned closure. Someone’s Xylophone (Dareka no mokkin) Yoichi Higashi, 2016 9 Feb 2017 8.40pm Seemingly happy middle-aged housewife Sayoko becomes hopelessly infatuated with her young hairdresser Kaito, an interest which quickly becomes unhealthy. This latest film by legendary director Yoichi Higashi delves deep into the mind of an ordinary woman who acts upon her hidden desires. The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme is produced and organised by the Japan Foundation. Supported by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Japan Airlines, the Japan Centre, Sake Samurai and Kyoto Convention & Visitors Bureau For further press information, images and interview requests please contact: Paul Graham | Assistant Programme and Administration Officer, Japan Foundation | [email protected] | 020 3102 5020 Listings information: The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2017 Odd Obsessions: Desires, Hopes and Impulses in Japanese Cinema 3 February – 9 February 2017 at ICA, London 3 February – 29 March 2017, nationwide Touring programme information: Following the programme at the ICA, the season will tour to a further 14 venues nationwide until late March 2017. This year’s participating venues are: 3 – 9 February ICA, London Box office: 020 7930 3647 www.ica.org.uk The Mall, London, SW1Y 5AH 4 – 20 February* Watershed, Bristol Box office: 0117 927 5100 www.watershed.co.uk 1 Canon's Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5TX 5 February – 1 March* HOME, Manchester Box office: 0161 200 1500 homemcr.org 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN 5 February – 26 March* Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast www.queensfilmtheatre.com 20 University Square, Belfast, BT7 1PA 7 February – 27 March* Showroom Cinema, Sheffield Box office: 0114 275 7727 www.showroomworkstation.org.uk Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2BX 8 February – 29 March* Exeter Phoenix, Exeter Box office: 01392 667080 www.exeterphoenix.org.uk Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter, EX4 3LS 10 – 12 February QUAD, Derby Box office: 01332 290606 www.derbyquad.co.uk The Market Place, The Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS 10 February – 28 March* mac birmingham, Birmingham Box office: 0121 446 3232 macbirmingham.co.uk Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, West Midlands B12 9QH 11 February – 29 March* Phoenix, Leicester www.phoenix.org.uk 0116 242 2800 4 Midland Street, Leicester, LE1 1TG 15 February – 11 March* Eden Court, Inverness Box office: 01463 234 234 www.eden-court.co.uk Eden Court, Bishops Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA 19 – 23 February Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling Box office: 01786 466666 macrobertartscentre.org University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA 25 February – 1 March Dundee Contemporary Arts Box office: 01382 909900 www.dca.org.uk 152 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DY 10 – 16 March The Brewery Arts Centre Cinema, Kendal Box office: 01539 725133 www.breweryarts.co.uk 122a Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4HE 17 – 23 March Broadway, Nottingham Box office: 0115 952 6611 www.broadway.org.uk 14-18 Broad Street, Nottingham, NG1 3AL 20 – 29 March* Filmhouse, Edinburgh Box office: 0131 228 2688 www.filmhousecinema.com 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ * Screening dates vary; please see your local venue for specific line-up information. About the Japan Foundation The Japan Foundation was established in 1972 by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and became an Independent Administrative Institution in 2003. The organisation promotes international cultural exchange between Japan and the rest of the world by organising projects as well as providing financial support through grant programmes in the fields of Arts and Culture, Japanese language and Japanese studies.