しあわせ

Throughout July the BFI Southbank London are showing classics of Japanese cinema in a season called Japanese Gems. 24 films by eight Kawakita Award-winning Japanese directors are showing.
The films include Ikuru by Kurosawa, Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill by Seijun Suzuki, and Onibaba by Kaneto Shindo.
The listings and details from BFI are better than anything I can provide.

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There’s always some Japanese films at this festival.

This year it’s running from the 30th of April until the 4th of May, and these films are showing:
Dai Nipponjin
Vexille and an
Anime All Nighter (9 hours, 4 films, including Tekkonkinkreet and The Girl who Leapt Through Time)

All films are showing at the Apollo Cinema Regent Street.
Films are £10, the all-nighter is £25, booking details are here

There are goody bags with the Anime All Nighter, and before every screening T-shirts and DVDs are usually thrown into (at?) the audience.

I’d really like to see The Girl who Leapt Through Time but I don’t think I can do an all-nighter anymore. Maybe it’ll get a DVD release. . .

There is a short retrospective of Akira Kurosawa films at the Barbican in May, commemorating the 10th anniversary of his death in 1998.

The films are

Rashomon on 4 May
Throne of Blood on 11 May
Seven Samurai on 18 May
Dersu Uzala (this one is in Russian) on 25 May
Kagemusha on 1 June

The only one of these films I haven’t seen is the Russian one, Dersu Uzala.
If I were to only recommend one it would have to be Seven Samurai. This is a rare chance to see these films on a large screen. Although if you miss them you can find them all on DVD as well.

Thanks to Paul-san for telling me about this.

Also at the Barbican next month on the 29 April is the Anime Patlabor2 directed by Mamoru Oshii, better known for Ghost in the Shell. Darker than the original which was apparently even darker than the original TV series. From what I remember my favourite character Noa Izumi doesn’t feature much in this film.

I missed the screening of Sakuran at the ICA last week and that prompted me to check the listings.
(Sakuran is on DVD with English subs in Japan so I’ll probably get it there before any release in the UK)

There are two films screening in the next months.
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A Life More Ordinary

In February the ICA in The Mall, London are holding a short festival of contemporary Shomin-geki. 庶民劇 [しょみんげき]　The drama of ordinary people. So no yakuza, samurai, weird horror, or giant robots.

There are six films

The Milkwoman 9, 11 Feb
Strawberry Shortcakes 10 Feb
The Cat Leaves Home 12, 13 Feb
Kamikaze Girls 13, 15 Feb
No One’s Ark 16, 17 Feb.
Kaza-Hana 17 Feb

The only film I’ve seen is Kamikaze Girls; it’s an enjoyable film, worth a watch.

Prices are £8 for non-members and £6 for ICA members

Thanks to Andrew-san for telling me about this.

Strawberry Shortcake trailer
Strawberry Shortcakes review

This short film festival is organised by the Japan Foundation and will be touring the UK in February and March.

ICA (London) 9 – 17 February
Watershed Media Centre (Bristol) 15 – 21 February
Queens Film Theatre (Belfast) 22 – 28 February
Filmhouse (Edinburgh) 29 February – 6 March
Showroom (Sheffield) 6 – 22 March

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The program for the 51st LFF has been published and bookings open at the end of this month.

This year I see 7 films from Japan listed as well as 2 shorts. None of which I’ve seen before although a couple of directors I’m familiar with; such as Kitano Takeshi, the famous actor/director; Nobuhiro Yamashita, the director of リンダリンダリンダ; and Masayuki Suo, the director of Shall We Dansu.

Does Your Soul Have a Cold? Sun 21 Oct, Tue 23 Oct Documentary.
EXTE – hair extensions Thur 25 Oct, Fri 26 Oct
Glory to the Filmaker Thur 18 Oct. Kitano Takeshi
I Just Didn’t Do It Fri 26 Oct, Mon 29 Oct. Masayuki Suo
Matsugane Potshot Affair Tue 23 Oct, Wed 24 Oct. Nobuhiro Yamashita
Mourning Forest Sun 28 Oct, Tue 30 Oct
Vexille Sat 20 Oct, Sun 21 Oct. CG Anime

Ticket prices are from £6, £8.50 or £11 depending on time and venue.

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