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Family-centred dramas seem to have become the specialty of director Ryota Nakano since his feature debut “Capturing Dad”. His 2016's film “Her Love Boils Water” earned him a remarkable number of awards and nominations and “A Long Goodbye” was the following work, with a stellar cast. It will be followed in 2020, by another family narration, “The Asadas”, where a real story gives him a vehicle to talk about the dramatic events of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

A Long Goodbye is screening at Japan Society as part of the Family Portrait program

It's 2007 and Fumi (Yu Aoi) and older sister Mari (Yuko Takeuchi) are summoned by their mum Yoko (Chieko Matsubara) to celebrate the 70th birthday of their father Shohei (Tsutomu Yamazaki), a former headmaster, stern and entirely dedicated to his work. Soon it's clear that the birthday celebration is just an excuse to deliver an uneasy message. Shohei was...

Exclusive: Cameras have started rolling in Tokyo on Akashi, the debut feature from Japanese and Canadian writer-director Mayumi Yoshida.

Yoshida, best known as an actor for her role in The Man in The High Castle, will also star in the film alongside veteran performers Hana Kino, Chieko Matsubara, Kunio Murai, and rising performer Ryo Tajima.

Described as a “coming-of-age love story,” Akashi follows Kana (Yoshida), an artist who is at a crossroads in her career. After finding out her Grandmother (Kino) has passed, she returns home to Tokyo for the funeral, where she rekindles a romance with childhood love Hiro (Tajima) and uncovers a family secret about her Grandpa (Murai).

Akashi is written and directed by Yoshida, who developed the script through the TIFF Writer’s Studio. The pic produced by Nach Dudsdeemaytha,...

Award-winning Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo‘s new series “Food Lore” is now available to stream on HBO. “Food Lore” is divvied up into eight episodes showcasing unique narratives, each highlighting tales and tastes across Asia. In addition to this imaginative review of food lore, Khoo’s series will work in tandem with accomplished filmmakers from each region. Featured filmmakers and countries include Erik Matti (the Philippines), Phan Dang Di (Vietnam), Billy Christian (Indonesia), Don Aravind (Singapore), Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Thailand), Takumi Saitoh (Japan), and Ho Yuhang (Malaysia).

“Food Lore” is produced by Singapore-based company Bert Pictures, and in partnership with Infocomm Media Development Authority (Imda) in Singapore. The show will be available to U.S. subscribers starting Monday, March 2 on HBO Now, HBO Go, and partner platforms.

The episode summary can be found below:

Episode 1 – Island of Dreams

Dreaming of a brighter future for her family, Nieves leaves her husband and...

Stars: Tetsuya Watari, Ryûji Kita, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani, Eimei Esumi | Written by Yasunori Kawauchi | Directed by Seijun Suzuki

It would be easy to assume that Seijun Suzuki’s 1966 crime thriller is a construct of a TV series. With its strictly-defined three-act structure, divided by subtitles, it has the feel of a succession of episodes stitched awkwardly together across 90 minutes. But it actually is a cheesy, kind of likeable, complete film.

Tetsuya Watari plays Tetsu “The Phoenix” Hondo, an ex-mobster trying to go straight. He and his avuncular old boss Kurata (Ryûji Kita) live in peace in a building owned by a kindly landlord named Yoshii (Michio Hino). However, Kurata’s old foe, Otsuka (Eimei Esumi) isn’t done with him yet. They force Yoshii to sell the building to them, triggering a fight between the Kurata and Otsuka clans. Tetsu can’t help but get involved.

To save Kurata from further conflict,...

Written and directed by Takeshi Kitano.

Starring Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tatsuya Mihashi,

Chieko Matsubara, Kyoko Fukada and Tsutomu Takeshige.

Running time: 113 min.

Dolls is a beautiful, clever, original stylization with just the right touch of subtle irony characteristic of other Kitano’s works.

Plot

There are three stories in the movie, all of them concerning love, always futile, tragic and pierced with the feeling of loneliness.

The central story is about a young couple, Matsumoto and Sawako. They are engaged to be married, but Matsumoto is persuaded by his parents to marry the daughter of his boss. As a dutiful son, the young man respects his parents’ request: they worked hard to get him through college and give him a good chance at life.

At the wedding Matsumoto is informed that Sawako attempted suicide. She survived, but lost her mind and is now in a semi-vegetative state. Matsumoto leaves...

Tokyo Drifter Directed by Seijun Suzuki Written by Kouhan Kawauchi Starring Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Tamio Kawaji Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter is a colourful, energetic blast of 1960's Japanese pop culture wrapped in a complicated, satirical take on the Yakuza gangster film. Packed with wild imagery and some amazing art design, Suzuki's unusual brand of crime film is more Warhol than Kurosawa and a definite treat for genre fans. The plot of Tokyo Drifter seems to be intentionally over-complicated, but let me try my best to summarize. Our hero, Tetsu Hondo, and his boss Kurata have given up the gangster life and gone straight. They're ex-Yakuza with an eye on opening a night club and making legit money. When a rival gang boss, Otsuka, fails to recruit Tetsu into his own club, he sends his men to rub him out. Kurata, a father figure to Tetsu, suggests he leaves town and become a drifter.

Lest anyone think Rinko Kikuchi has nothing better to do than pose for obscure magazines or engage in public displays of affection with Spike Jonze, she’s once again defied expectations by joining the cast of a traditional jidaigeki drama. Today it was announced that Kikuchi will play the heroine in Tetsuo Shinohara’s Ogawa no Hotori, opposite Noriyuki Higashiyama.

The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.

Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.

Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.

Lest anyone think Rinko Kikuchi has nothing better to do than pose for obscure magazines or engage in public displays of affection with Spike Jonze, she’s once again defied expectations by joining the cast of a traditional jidaigeki drama. Today it was announced that Kikuchi will play the heroine in Tetsuo Shinohara’s Ogawa no Hotori, opposite Noriyuki Higashiyama.

The film is based on a short story by Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor). Shinohara previously directed an adaptation of Fujisawa’s “Yamazakura” in 2008 which also co-starred Higashiyama.

Set in the fictional Unasaka domain, the story involves a samurai who’s obligated to follow an order that could destroy his relationship with his own younger sister.

Kikuchi, who had to dye her hair from blond back to black for the role, has never appeared in a jidaigeki drama before now. “The screenplay is very good,” she said.

Note: Certain aspects of the film’s plot are discussed, which may cause those allergic to spoilers to convulse.

Takumi Furukawi’s Cruel Gun Story, which was released in 1964, is a snappy, suspenseful heist film centered around a great performance by Joe Shishido. The central character is Togawa (played by Shishido), an ex-con who is sprung out of prison early by the mob. In exchange for his freedom and some cash, the mob asks Togawa to rob an armored car carrying 120 million yen in gambling money from a race track. Togawa is skeptical, but his desire to help his sister Rie (Chieko Matsubara), who was crippled in a car wreck, leads him to at least entertain the idea. Togawa is given the names of three crooks to help him pull off the job. With the help of his old buddy Shirai (Yuji Odaka), Togawa tests the mettle of his potential partners in crime,...