Films / Programs

Focus on Japanese Cinema, Art, & Culture

In early March of this year, as we were preparing the second annual Focus on Japanese Cinema, Art, & Culture, the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the northern coast of the country. For obvious reasons, plans for the mini-festival stalled as attentions and resources were directed toward emergency relief. With the support of the Consulate General of Japan at Denver and the Japan Foundation, we decided to roll the event into the November festival, so as to honor the extraordinary contribution to world cinema this recovering island nation has made.

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  The Ballad of Narayama

  Japan , 1983 , 130 min. Shôhei Imamura's 1983 drama about self-sacrifice, survival, and the brutal harmonies of life in a 19th- century Japanese village features one of the great screen performances: Sumiko Sakamoto is a flinty matriarch who, like all villagers at age 70, must climb holy Mount Narayama and die alone.... more
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  Food and the Maiden

  Japan , 2010 , 75 min. From first-time Japanese writer-director Minoru Kurimura comes this simultaneously haunting and charming exploration of the neuroses surrounding nourishment. Three interweaving plots show how the main characters’ troubles are as much about relationships as mealtimes... more
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  Ghost in the Shell

  Japan , 1995 , 83 min. Seamlessly merging traditional cel animation with the latest in computer-graphic technology, this stunning sci-fi spectacle broke ground in 1995 with its emphasis on detailed artistic expression and a storyline of unprecedented complexity.... more
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  Hospitalite

  Japan , 2010 , 95 min. Koji Fukada’s delightful Hospitalité tells the story of a man who turns the quiet life of the Kobayashi family upside down when he comes to work in their print shop. Not merely an outrageous farce, the film also smartly explores—and critiques—many Japanese cultural norms.... more
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  Record Future

  Japan , 2010 , 93 min. With roots in the Japanese theater, Kentaro Kishi makes his cinematic debut with this dreamlike narrative that examines the connections between past, present, and future through the eyes of characters Sachi and Osamu, who dream of running their own schoolhouse.... more
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  Rikyu

  Japan , 1989 , 135 min. In Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Rikyu, a shogun wants to learn the tea ceremony. He’s a warrior, a man of politics and ambition—and for him, the ceremony is just one more thing to conquer. Unfortunately for the shogun, though, its performance demands a whole new set of skills.... more
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  Rare Imports: The Makioka Sisters

  Japan , 1983 , 140 min. BRAND NEW 35MM PRINT! The fading fortunes of the titular siblings take center stage in Kon Ichikawa’s 1983 adaptation of Junichiro Tanizaki’s acclaimed novel. It’s 1938, and the Makiokas seek to marry off Yukiko while struggling with familial conflict and relinquishing their hold on the past... more
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  Yukiko

  Japan , 2011 , 75 min. Shot in Paris by Japanese filmmaker Haruka Motoi, this quiet character study centers on the bond women forge in overcoming life’s hardships. After walking out on her boyfriend, the titular character faces surprise upon surprise as she tries to make her way in the foreign city of lights.... more