The Japanese director of Shoplifters uses different takes on a single story to tell the fraught tale of two troubled boys
A frazzled widowed mother, Saori (Sakura Andô), suspects that all is not well with her preteen son, Minato (Soya Kurokawa). The boy seems subdued and withdrawn; she catches him hacking inches from his mop of hair. He asks odd, troubling questions: if the brain of a pig was transplanted into a human, what would the resulting creature be, human or pig? Or some kind of monster? And then there are the injuries – an ear yanked so brutally that it bleeds; a livid facial bruise. Saori soon deduces that her son’s new teacher, Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama), at his provincial Japanese elementary school, is responsible for her son’s brooding disquiet. She confronts the school principal (a confounding reflecting prism of a performance from veteran actor Yūko Tanaka), but...
A frazzled widowed mother, Saori (Sakura Andô), suspects that all is not well with her preteen son, Minato (Soya Kurokawa). The boy seems subdued and withdrawn; she catches him hacking inches from his mop of hair. He asks odd, troubling questions: if the brain of a pig was transplanted into a human, what would the resulting creature be, human or pig? Or some kind of monster? And then there are the injuries – an ear yanked so brutally that it bleeds; a livid facial bruise. Saori soon deduces that her son’s new teacher, Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama), at his provincial Japanese elementary school, is responsible for her son’s brooding disquiet. She confronts the school principal (a confounding reflecting prism of a performance from veteran actor Yūko Tanaka), but...
- 3/17/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
Known for his exploration of universal themes including family, happiness and memories, Japanese director, producer, screenwriter and editor Hirokazu Kore-eda‘s newest feature Monster (2023) has received acclaim from critics and fans alike. Monster follows mother Saori whose son Minato (Soya Kurokawa) starts behaving strangely, leading her to think that something must be wrong. Soon discovering that a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school and demands to know what’s been happening to her son. However, as the story unfolds and the truth gradually emerges, it may not be anything close to what Saori imagined. Using clever storytelling methods to keep us intrigued, fantastic performances from the young leads and beautifully explored complex themes, Monster fits tidily into Kore-eda’s filmography as a heartbreaking study of childhood, growing up, and the harrowing idea that we may not know our children as deeply as we think we do.
The storytelling...
The storytelling...
- 2/19/2024
- by Becca Johnson
- Talking Films
“Kanae (Yoko Maki) struggles to manage her family's bathhouse after her husband, Satoru (Eita Nagayama), suddenly vanishes. She is often possessed by his memories, as well as memories from her childhood that she cannot recall. One day, Takayuki (Arata Iura), a boiler man, comes seeking work and shelter, which Kanae agrees to offer.” (Official)
Undercurrent is Screening as Part of The 2024 Japan Foundation Touring Program
Offering a synopsis only provides a starting point to the work of Rikiya Imaizumi, who, as the press material for the lead-up to the film touring as part of Japan Foundation states, “skilfully portrays the emotions that have long been locked away in people's hearts.” Extending on this concept, “Undercurrents” lingers in that moment of release, making the expression of one's inner emotions not as crucial as stating them. Much of the movie is left open as major questions brought up by characters to others...
Undercurrent is Screening as Part of The 2024 Japan Foundation Touring Program
Offering a synopsis only provides a starting point to the work of Rikiya Imaizumi, who, as the press material for the lead-up to the film touring as part of Japan Foundation states, “skilfully portrays the emotions that have long been locked away in people's hearts.” Extending on this concept, “Undercurrents” lingers in that moment of release, making the expression of one's inner emotions not as crucial as stating them. Much of the movie is left open as major questions brought up by characters to others...
- 2/18/2024
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
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"Monster", directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, is one of the most acclaimed movies of 2023 that you probably haven't heard of yet.
Set in Japan, the film follows three people: the single mother Saori Mugino (Sakura Andō), her young son Minato (Sōya Kurokawa), and Minato's teacher Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama). Saori begins to suspect that Hori is abusing her son, while Hori suspects that there's something sinister in the boy's head. The truth, which I'll leave unspoiled, is a lot sadder. The film is told from their three perspectives. Seeing the same sequence of events three times highlights how hard it is to truly understand someone by looking at them from the outside.
"Monster" enjoyed a film festival run, taking home the Queer Palm (bestowed to Kore-eda) and Best Screenplay (to Yuji Sakamoto) awards at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May...
"Monster", directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, is one of the most acclaimed movies of 2023 that you probably haven't heard of yet.
Set in Japan, the film follows three people: the single mother Saori Mugino (Sakura Andō), her young son Minato (Sōya Kurokawa), and Minato's teacher Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama). Saori begins to suspect that Hori is abusing her son, while Hori suspects that there's something sinister in the boy's head. The truth, which I'll leave unspoiled, is a lot sadder. The film is told from their three perspectives. Seeing the same sequence of events three times highlights how hard it is to truly understand someone by looking at them from the outside.
"Monster" enjoyed a film festival run, taking home the Queer Palm (bestowed to Kore-eda) and Best Screenplay (to Yuji Sakamoto) awards at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May...
- 1/1/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Los Angeles – December 18, 2023 – Japan House Los Angeles and Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Ssff & Asia), the largest short film festivals in Asia and Academy Award® qualifying festivals, have joined together for the second time to showcase Short Shorts Film Festival in Hollywood on January 11, 2024. The one-day film festival celebrating film and culture will screen several diverse short films created by Japanese and international filmmakers, from up-and-comers to an Academy Award-winning filmmaker.
Marking the 5th anniversary of Japan House Los Angeles, and the 25th anniversary of the Ssff & Asia, this year's theme “Unlock Cinema | Short Films, Infinite Possibilities,” celebrates the filmmakers' journey, recognizing how most filmmakers' careers begin by creating short films, unlocking their potential to create feature-length films. The festival will also include a talk event by Ssff & Asia founder and President Tetsuya Bessho, Takuma Takasaki, co-writer and producer of “Perfect Days”, and moderated by USC's Senior Director of Festival,...
Marking the 5th anniversary of Japan House Los Angeles, and the 25th anniversary of the Ssff & Asia, this year's theme “Unlock Cinema | Short Films, Infinite Possibilities,” celebrates the filmmakers' journey, recognizing how most filmmakers' careers begin by creating short films, unlocking their potential to create feature-length films. The festival will also include a talk event by Ssff & Asia founder and President Tetsuya Bessho, Takuma Takasaki, co-writer and producer of “Perfect Days”, and moderated by USC's Senior Director of Festival,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: UTA has signed Hirokazu Kore-eda, the internationally celebrated Japanese filmmaker known for titles like Monster and Shoplifters, for representation in all areas.
The deal is particularly significant, Deadline hears, as the agency continues to expand its presence in Japan, and throughout Asia more broadly. Kore-eda will work closely going forward with UTA’s Asia Business Development division, which looks to amplify Asian and Asian-American voices by creating and curating a diverse array of opportunities, between Hollywood and Asia, for clients, partner companies, and brands.
Kore-eda’s most recent feature, Monster, had its North American premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival after world premiering in Cannes, where it was awarded the Queer Palm and the prize for Best Screenplay. The film penned by Yuji Sakamoto watches as a mother confronts her young son’s teacher after she notices him acting strangely. Sakura Andō, Eita Nagayama, and Sōya Kurokawa star.
Kore-eda...
The deal is particularly significant, Deadline hears, as the agency continues to expand its presence in Japan, and throughout Asia more broadly. Kore-eda will work closely going forward with UTA’s Asia Business Development division, which looks to amplify Asian and Asian-American voices by creating and curating a diverse array of opportunities, between Hollywood and Asia, for clients, partner companies, and brands.
Kore-eda’s most recent feature, Monster, had its North American premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival after world premiering in Cannes, where it was awarded the Queer Palm and the prize for Best Screenplay. The film penned by Yuji Sakamoto watches as a mother confronts her young son’s teacher after she notices him acting strangely. Sakura Andō, Eita Nagayama, and Sōya Kurokawa star.
Kore-eda...
- 10/24/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Hirokazu Koreeda returns to Japan for his latest feature, “Monster,” another outstanding entry in the director’s already impressive filmography. For “Monster,” Koreeda collaborated with screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto, who wrote the screenplay, and music composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who produced his final film score before passing away. As such, a dedication to the memory of Sakamoto is included. Upon making its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, competing for the Palme d’Or, the movie was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception, winning the Best Screenplay award and being honored with the Queer Palm. Its theatrical run has also been met with acclaim.
Monster is available from Wellgo USA
Regarding the story, single mother Saori Mugino grows concerned for her son Minato when she notices disturbing changes in his behavior. Things only become more concerning as time progresses. Upon learning that schoolteacher Michitoshi Hori is responsible for her child’s behavioral shifts,...
Monster is available from Wellgo USA
Regarding the story, single mother Saori Mugino grows concerned for her son Minato when she notices disturbing changes in his behavior. Things only become more concerning as time progresses. Upon learning that schoolteacher Michitoshi Hori is responsible for her child’s behavioral shifts,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
"What really happened doesn't matter. You will defend our school." Well Go USA has revealed the official US trailer for an acclaimed Japanese film titled Monster, the latest film from prolific Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. Set to open in art house theaters this Nov/Dec. Koreeda already won Palme d'Or a few years ago for Shoplifters, and debuted his Korean film Broker in Cannes last year, returning to Cannes this year for this premiere. A mother demands answers from teacher when her son begins acting strangely. The film has a score by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto. The cast includes the talented Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama, and Yuko Tanaka, who overwhelm the audience with their transformative performances, and rising stars Souya Kurokawa and Yota Hiiragi, who play the two boys with freshness and emotion, as well as Mitsuki Takahata, Akihiro Tsunoda, Shidou Nakamura. The Rashomon-esque story follows a boy at school,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Who is the real monster when the truth comes out?
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster” marks the director’s return to films set in Japan for the first time since winning the Palme d’Or for 2018 film “Shoplifters.” Kore-eda went on to helm “The Truth” and “Broker,” set in France and South Korea, respectively. “Monster” is also the first film Kore-eda has directed from another script since 1995’s “Maboroshi.” The “Monster” screenplay, written by Yuji Sakamoto, went on to win the Best Screenplay prize at Cannes 2023.
The official synopsis reads: When her young son Minato (Soya Kurokawa) starts to behave strangely, his mother (Sakura Ando) feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher (Eita Nagayama) is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds though the eyes of the mother, teacher, and child, the truth gradually emerges.
“Monster” also...
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster” marks the director’s return to films set in Japan for the first time since winning the Palme d’Or for 2018 film “Shoplifters.” Kore-eda went on to helm “The Truth” and “Broker,” set in France and South Korea, respectively. “Monster” is also the first film Kore-eda has directed from another script since 1995’s “Maboroshi.” The “Monster” screenplay, written by Yuji Sakamoto, went on to win the Best Screenplay prize at Cannes 2023.
The official synopsis reads: When her young son Minato (Soya Kurokawa) starts to behave strangely, his mother (Sakura Ando) feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher (Eita Nagayama) is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds though the eyes of the mother, teacher, and child, the truth gradually emerges.
“Monster” also...
- 10/4/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Well Go USA Entertainment has set an awards-season U.S. release date for Monster, the latest film from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda that won the Best Screenplay prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The pic, which was released in Japan in June, will start its U.S. run November 22 in New York, followed by December 1 in Los Angeles before going wider through the winter.
Check out the trailer above and the poster below.
Monster centers on Minato (Soya Kurokawa), a young boy who is displaying increasingly worrying behavior both at school and at home. His mother Saori (Sakura Ando) decides to discuss it with the teaching staff at his school. It soon becomes apparent that his teacher, Hori (Eita Nagayama), is the source of all the problems. But as the mystery unfolds, the truth turns out to be more complex than expected.
In his review, Deadline’s...
The pic, which was released in Japan in June, will start its U.S. run November 22 in New York, followed by December 1 in Los Angeles before going wider through the winter.
Check out the trailer above and the poster below.
Monster centers on Minato (Soya Kurokawa), a young boy who is displaying increasingly worrying behavior both at school and at home. His mother Saori (Sakura Ando) decides to discuss it with the teaching staff at his school. It soon becomes apparent that his teacher, Hori (Eita Nagayama), is the source of all the problems. But as the mystery unfolds, the truth turns out to be more complex than expected.
In his review, Deadline’s...
- 10/4/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Shinji Hamasaki started his career in commercials, directing a number of award-winning ones. In 2014, he directed his first short, “Time Slip Horibe Yasubei” while his feature debut came in 2020, with “Not Quite Dead Yet”. Now he returns to filmmaking with a new short, “Seen”, based on Ryunosuke Akutagawa's short story “The Nose.”
Seen is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia
In black and white and with music that points towards a horror film, the movie begins showing a man putting on his apron, followed by the image of a woman, drawing manga in exhaustion, while the mirror in her desk that shows her face reveals that she is wearing an eye-patch on her left eye. The initial man works at a convenience store, but his huge nose draws the attention and ire of everyone that comes to the shop. As he reads comments on the web about his presence in the store,...
Seen is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia
In black and white and with music that points towards a horror film, the movie begins showing a man putting on his apron, followed by the image of a woman, drawing manga in exhaustion, while the mirror in her desk that shows her face reveals that she is wearing an eye-patch on her left eye. The initial man works at a convenience store, but his huge nose draws the attention and ire of everyone that comes to the shop. As he reads comments on the web about his presence in the store,...
- 6/24/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
When her young son Minato (Soya Kurokawa) starts to behave strangely, Saori (Sakura Ando) feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher Hori (Eita Nagayama) is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what's going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher and child, the truth gradually emerges. (Source: 76th Cannes Film Festival Press Kit)
Monster is the sixteenth feature film by acclaimed director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and his seventh to be featured in Competition at Cannes. Screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto wins the Best Screenplay Award and the film was also awarded the Queer Palm 2023. A release date is yet to be announced.
Monster is the sixteenth feature film by acclaimed director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and his seventh to be featured in Competition at Cannes. Screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto wins the Best Screenplay Award and the film was also awarded the Queer Palm 2023. A release date is yet to be announced.
- 6/24/2023
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Few stories are as gratifying as the narrative jigsaw. How to fool the viewer into believing one thing without lying about what happened? It’s difficult enough to execute on the page, but much more can be hidden in writing. With film it’s a matter of obscuring the context of what we both see and hear, which requires some trickery. Like any sound cinematic tool, it can be misused and abused (see: the MCU), but with tasteful restraint it can be the backbone of a masterclass in mystery. See: Monster.
Writer, editor, and director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 17th feature––his fourth in five years, the third of those to debut in competition at Cannes, with Shoplifters taking the Palme d’Or in 2018––is exactly that: a masterclass in mystery. Or, perhaps, context. What starts as a relatively clear story about sinister pyros, “pig-brained” kids, and abusive teachers transforms, through labyrinthine story mechanics,...
Writer, editor, and director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 17th feature––his fourth in five years, the third of those to debut in competition at Cannes, with Shoplifters taking the Palme d’Or in 2018––is exactly that: a masterclass in mystery. Or, perhaps, context. What starts as a relatively clear story about sinister pyros, “pig-brained” kids, and abusive teachers transforms, through labyrinthine story mechanics,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Well Go USA releases the film in theaters on Wednesday, November 22.
Scary as it sounds, “monster” can be such a strangely comforting word. Not only does classifying someone as inhuman absolve us from acknowledging the most difficult aspects of our shared humanity, it also reaffirms the smallness and simplicity of an infinitely complex universe that continues to expand no matter how much we might want to wrap our arms around it. “Monster” is a period at the end of a sentence; it’s the permission we give ourselves to demonize whatever we don’t understand.
And, for all of those reasons, it’s also a very unexpected title for a new feature by the great Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose achingly humanistic stories of families lost and found have never had any use for such a stiflingly judgmental term.
Scary as it sounds, “monster” can be such a strangely comforting word. Not only does classifying someone as inhuman absolve us from acknowledging the most difficult aspects of our shared humanity, it also reaffirms the smallness and simplicity of an infinitely complex universe that continues to expand no matter how much we might want to wrap our arms around it. “Monster” is a period at the end of a sentence; it’s the permission we give ourselves to demonize whatever we don’t understand.
And, for all of those reasons, it’s also a very unexpected title for a new feature by the great Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose achingly humanistic stories of families lost and found have never had any use for such a stiflingly judgmental term.
- 5/17/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
After making The Truth in France and Broker in South Korea, Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to a Japanese-language project for the first time since his justly lauded Shoplifters five years ago, working with another writer’s script for the first time since his head-turning 1995 debut, Maborosi. Many of the peerless humanist’s frequent themes figure in Monster (Kaibutsu) — loss, isolation, the elusive nature of happiness and the struggles of imperfect families — viewed through a somewhat imposing multi-perspective Rashomon-esque prism. The director’s customary delicacy, compassion and sensitivity ripple through the drama, though its affecting moments of illumination are more intermittent than cumulative.
With its fragmented exploration of childhood bullying, stigma, peer pressure and homophobia, as well as the age of its young protagonists, Monster vaguely recalls Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s Close from last year, albeit with more restraint and less sentiment, for better or worse. It’s a frustrating film in many ways,...
With its fragmented exploration of childhood bullying, stigma, peer pressure and homophobia, as well as the age of its young protagonists, Monster vaguely recalls Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s Close from last year, albeit with more restraint and less sentiment, for better or worse. It’s a frustrating film in many ways,...
- 5/17/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda is a perceptive observer of families, keenly detecting the quirks that make an individual unique and the whole stronger and more complicated. 2018’s masterful Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters” was perhaps the finest display of Kore-eda’s skills and preoccupations as a minimalist artist of mysterious domestic rhythms, informed by social and financial realities.
His make-shift family in last year’s arguably more populist “Broker” didn’t hit a note as high, but “Monster,” the director’s return to this year’s Cannes competition, feels closer to the subtly multilayered tales we came to expect from him.
A sweet, unknowable and often purposely misleading red herring of a whodunit that morphs into an unexpected tale of friendship, “Monster” feels like a departure for Kore-eda, mostly because of its intricate structure that recounts the same event from three different viewpoints. An obvious (and quite accurate) association point...
His make-shift family in last year’s arguably more populist “Broker” didn’t hit a note as high, but “Monster,” the director’s return to this year’s Cannes competition, feels closer to the subtly multilayered tales we came to expect from him.
A sweet, unknowable and often purposely misleading red herring of a whodunit that morphs into an unexpected tale of friendship, “Monster” feels like a departure for Kore-eda, mostly because of its intricate structure that recounts the same event from three different viewpoints. An obvious (and quite accurate) association point...
- 5/17/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
Hirokazu Kore-Eda is back in Cannes Competition after winning the Palme d’Or for Shoplifters in 2018 and last year presenting Korean-language Broker, which won best actor for Song Kang-ho. His new title, Monster, reteams him with Shoplifters actress Sakura Ando and is the last film to be scored by Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died in March at 71 following a battle with cancer.
Scripted by Yuji Sakamoto (We Made a Beautiful Bouquet), Monster revolves around a single mother (Ando) who suspects there is something wrong at her son’s school when he starts behaving strangely. She storms into the school and accuses a teacher of bullying her son, only to have the teacher claim the boy is bullying another pupil, an eccentric child who appears to be having problems at home.
The cast also includes Eita Nagayama (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai) as the teacher and veteran actress Yuko Tanaka...
Scripted by Yuji Sakamoto (We Made a Beautiful Bouquet), Monster revolves around a single mother (Ando) who suspects there is something wrong at her son’s school when he starts behaving strangely. She storms into the school and accuses a teacher of bullying her son, only to have the teacher claim the boy is bullying another pupil, an eccentric child who appears to be having problems at home.
The cast also includes Eita Nagayama (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai) as the teacher and veteran actress Yuko Tanaka...
- 5/17/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Ssff & Asia) 2023, one of the largest international short film festivals in Asia and accredited by the US Academy Awards® announced on April 27 on the festival’s official website the nominated films and special screening films.
Beginning with the opening ceremony on June 6 (Tuesday), this year’s film festival will be held at multiple venues in Tokyo until the award ceremony on June 26 (Monday). The online venue will open on April 27 (Thursday), where you can enjoy selected short films from all over the country until July 10 (Monday).
◆ Announcement of about 200 nominations selected from 5,215 works gathered from 120 countries and regions around the world
In the Japan section of the official competition leading to the Academy Awards® nomination, short films featuring actors turned directors Kengo Kora, Tao Tsuchiya, Taishi Nakagawa, Mansai Nomura, Hiroshi Tamaki and Eita Nagayama are among the nominees.
◆ Japan premieres and special screenings
Chris Rock...
Beginning with the opening ceremony on June 6 (Tuesday), this year’s film festival will be held at multiple venues in Tokyo until the award ceremony on June 26 (Monday). The online venue will open on April 27 (Thursday), where you can enjoy selected short films from all over the country until July 10 (Monday).
◆ Announcement of about 200 nominations selected from 5,215 works gathered from 120 countries and regions around the world
In the Japan section of the official competition leading to the Academy Awards® nomination, short films featuring actors turned directors Kengo Kora, Tao Tsuchiya, Taishi Nakagawa, Mansai Nomura, Hiroshi Tamaki and Eita Nagayama are among the nominees.
◆ Japan premieres and special screenings
Chris Rock...
- 4/29/2023
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Toho in Japan has revealed a full-length official trailer for Monster, the latest film from prolific Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. He already won Palme d'Or a few years ago for Shoplifters, and premiered his Korean film Broker in Cannes last year, and is back at the festival again. This trailer dropped moments after the film was announced as a major premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, playing again in the competition. The story spun by Hirokazu Kore-eda this time is colored by the world-class music of Ryuichi Sakamoto (who sadly passed away recently). The film's cast features the talented Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama, and Yuko Tanaka, who overwhelm the audience with their transformative performances, and rising stars Souya Kurokawa and Yota Hiiragi, who play the two boys with freshness and emotion, as well as Mitsuki Takahata, Akihiro Tsunoda, Shidou Nakamura. The Rashomon-esque story follows a boy at school, examining who...
- 4/13/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and Japan’s Gaga Corporation have announced that the two companies will again collaborate on international sales on Monster, directed by award-winning filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Gaga will handle sales for Asian territories, while Wbi will handle worldwide territories excluding Asia. A promo will be available for buyers at the upcoming European Film Market (EFM) at Berlin film festival. The film has been widely tipped for selection at this year’s Cannes.
Wild Bunch and Gaga have teamed up for sales on several of Kore-eda’s titles, starting in 2011 with I Wish, which played at the Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals, and more recently Shoplifters, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018.
Monster is scheduled for release in Japan through Toho and Gaga on June 2, 2023. Scripted by Yuji Sakamoto (We Made A Beautiful Bouquet) and with with music by Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, the...
Gaga will handle sales for Asian territories, while Wbi will handle worldwide territories excluding Asia. A promo will be available for buyers at the upcoming European Film Market (EFM) at Berlin film festival. The film has been widely tipped for selection at this year’s Cannes.
Wild Bunch and Gaga have teamed up for sales on several of Kore-eda’s titles, starting in 2011 with I Wish, which played at the Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals, and more recently Shoplifters, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018.
Monster is scheduled for release in Japan through Toho and Gaga on June 2, 2023. Scripted by Yuji Sakamoto (We Made A Beautiful Bouquet) and with with music by Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, the...
- 2/2/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Sakamoto Scores Again
Celebrated composer Sakamoto Ryuichi has been tapped to provide the score of “Monster,” the previously announced upcoming film by Japan’s Kore-eda Hirokazu (“Shoplifters”). The film has been in post-production since November last year, but only now is the cast being unveiled. It includes Ando Sakura Nagayama Eita (“Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”) and Tanaka Yuko (“Backwater”). Two children actors Kurokawa Soya and Hiiragi Hinataare were also revealed. The film, handled jointly by Toho and Gaga, is set for a June 2, 2023 release, making it a favorite for selection at the Cannes festival in May.
Close Encounter
Lukas Dhont’s “Close” added to its awards haul with the announcement that it had earned two more prizes at China’s Silk Road International Film Festival. The festival in Xi’an concluded on Tuesday with prizes for best film and best film going to the Belgium-France-Netherlands co-production. The best screenplay...
Celebrated composer Sakamoto Ryuichi has been tapped to provide the score of “Monster,” the previously announced upcoming film by Japan’s Kore-eda Hirokazu (“Shoplifters”). The film has been in post-production since November last year, but only now is the cast being unveiled. It includes Ando Sakura Nagayama Eita (“Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”) and Tanaka Yuko (“Backwater”). Two children actors Kurokawa Soya and Hiiragi Hinataare were also revealed. The film, handled jointly by Toho and Gaga, is set for a June 2, 2023 release, making it a favorite for selection at the Cannes festival in May.
Close Encounter
Lukas Dhont’s “Close” added to its awards haul with the announcement that it had earned two more prizes at China’s Silk Road International Film Festival. The festival in Xi’an concluded on Tuesday with prizes for best film and best film going to the Belgium-France-Netherlands co-production. The best screenplay...
- 1/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Opening Ceremony for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2022 was held at Line Cube Shibuya on June 7th (Tue). 9 awards were presented at the ceremony. U-25 Program, Shibuya Diversity Award, Biogen Award, Book Shorts Award, Amuse Musical Short Film Pitch Competition, Milbon Beauty Award, Save the Earth! Minister’s Award, the Ministry of the Environment & J-wave Award, and Global Spotlight Award.
Ssff & Asia received 5720 entries for the competitions including Official Competition supported by Sony from 126 countries & regions. The judges will select best short awards of each category: International, Asia International, Japan, Non-Fiction, and Animation among about 200 finalists. Grand-Prix is selected from winners of the Academy Awards Accredited 5 Competitions. Each winner will be eligible to the Oscar of the short film category next year and will be announced on June 20th at Meiji-Jingu Kaikan in Tokyo. Ssff & Asia 2022 has begun its screening from today till June 20th at Tokyo as well as Online Venue.
Ssff & Asia received 5720 entries for the competitions including Official Competition supported by Sony from 126 countries & regions. The judges will select best short awards of each category: International, Asia International, Japan, Non-Fiction, and Animation among about 200 finalists. Grand-Prix is selected from winners of the Academy Awards Accredited 5 Competitions. Each winner will be eligible to the Oscar of the short film category next year and will be announced on June 20th at Meiji-Jingu Kaikan in Tokyo. Ssff & Asia 2022 has begun its screening from today till June 20th at Tokyo as well as Online Venue.
- 6/11/2022
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Born in 1987 in Kanagawa Prefecture (Japan), he graduated in 2006 from the prestigious Chigasaki Hokuryo Highschool in Chigasaki City. He graduatde in 2015 from the Japan Institute of the Moving Image. He worked on Koji Fukada’s production “Au revoir l’été”, Uchida Nobuteru’s “Odayaka”, and Kiki Sugino’s “Kyoto Elegy”. He was also the assistant-director of Kiki Sugino on her feature film “Taksu”. His debut, “Chigasaki Story” screened in festivals all over the world and won the Best New Screenwriter Awards from Beijing International Film Festival. “The Murders of Oiso” is his latest film
On the occasion of his film screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about Oiso, his unusual approach to the movie, Japanese society, and other topics.
Why did you choose to have the story in Oiso? Is there a particular element that attracts you to the city?
First, I wanted to make this...
On the occasion of his film screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about Oiso, his unusual approach to the movie, Japanese society, and other topics.
Why did you choose to have the story in Oiso? Is there a particular element that attracts you to the city?
First, I wanted to make this...
- 3/14/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
“The Murders of Oiso” is the result of a collaborative work of Afa 2015 alumni, Takuya Misawa, Fei Pang Wong and Cyrus Tang, with the first acting as the director.
“The Murders of Oiso” is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The story takes place in a town and revolves around four young men, Shun, Tomoki, Kazuya, and Eita, who have been friends since their school years and now work together for the construction company run by Kazuya’s family, at least when they are not acting like a gang or playing cards in a garage. Their lives are relatively calm, although Kazuya seems to hold significant power over the rest of them, and particularly Eita, whose time spent with his girlfriend is a continuous point of friction with the aforementioned. Things become complicated when Kazuya’s uncle, who was also their teacher and a man who always helped them, is found dead.
“The Murders of Oiso” is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The story takes place in a town and revolves around four young men, Shun, Tomoki, Kazuya, and Eita, who have been friends since their school years and now work together for the construction company run by Kazuya’s family, at least when they are not acting like a gang or playing cards in a garage. Their lives are relatively calm, although Kazuya seems to hold significant power over the rest of them, and particularly Eita, whose time spent with his girlfriend is a continuous point of friction with the aforementioned. Things become complicated when Kazuya’s uncle, who was also their teacher and a man who always helped them, is found dead.
- 3/8/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Masaki Kobayashi’s “Hara-Kiri” (1962) is a towering giant of a film that has stood the test of time. Revered by many, the film often features on several “Best Of” lists time and again. Thus, It was a bit of a surprise when it was announced that Takashi Miike was recruited to put a fresh touch on the classic, only this time in 3D. It was hence that “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011, the first 3D film to ever be selected in Official Competition at the Festival, with a subsequent wide theatrical release later in the year.
With the rise of the Shogunate, several prominent Domains under them have been shut permanently, which has led to many a samurai being jobless and struggling to make a living. This has led to a unique spate of cons where such ronin go to...
With the rise of the Shogunate, several prominent Domains under them have been shut permanently, which has led to many a samurai being jobless and struggling to make a living. This has led to a unique spate of cons where such ronin go to...
- 1/20/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
The fractured narrative technique has given us a number of great Japanese films during the years, with “Rage” and “Noise“, being the first that come to mind. Takahisa Zeze, who has long since refrained from his pinku past, presents a film that uses this narrative technique in a production that combines exploitation, thriller, and social commentary.
The script is based on the novel “Yuuzai” by Gaku Yakumaru and revolves around two men, who find themselves working together in a small factory. The first one is Junichi Masuda, an ex-journalist who has given up on his work after an incident with one of his articles and is also tormented by his actions as a school kid, involving the suicide of one of his classmates. The second is Hideto Suzuki, a man who tries to be alone as much as possible, and is also tormented by his actions as a school kid.
The script is based on the novel “Yuuzai” by Gaku Yakumaru and revolves around two men, who find themselves working together in a small factory. The first one is Junichi Masuda, an ex-journalist who has given up on his work after an incident with one of his articles and is also tormented by his actions as a school kid, involving the suicide of one of his classmates. The second is Hideto Suzuki, a man who tries to be alone as much as possible, and is also tormented by his actions as a school kid.
- 9/12/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Veteran Japanese director Takahisa Zeze (“Raigyo” “A Gap In The Skin”) has completed production on “My Friend A”. The film is an adaptation of the novel by Gaku Yakumaru, this will be the first time the author’s work has been adapted into a feature-length film. The film stars a well-seasoned cast including, Toma Ikuta (“The Mole Song” “Grasshopper”) and Eita (“9 Souls” “The Foreign Duck…“).
The film has been released previously and is awaiting a domestic release. A trailer for the film has been released.
Synopsis
Masuda (Toma Ikuta) hoped to become a journalist, but he did not achieve his dream. Instead, he begins to work at a small factory. There, Masuda meets co-worker Suzuki (Eita). Suzuki doesn’t like to talk with anyone around him and he doesn’t talk about his past with anyone. Masuda suspects Suzuki might be the convicted killer responsible for a series of child murders 17 years ago.
The film has been released previously and is awaiting a domestic release. A trailer for the film has been released.
Synopsis
Masuda (Toma Ikuta) hoped to become a journalist, but he did not achieve his dream. Instead, he begins to work at a small factory. There, Masuda meets co-worker Suzuki (Eita). Suzuki doesn’t like to talk with anyone around him and he doesn’t talk about his past with anyone. Masuda suspects Suzuki might be the convicted killer responsible for a series of child murders 17 years ago.
- 8/4/2018
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Yoshihiro Nakamura has emerged as one of the most interesting Japanese directors during the last two decades, highlighting his prowess in a number of genres, usually through great stories, since his directorial credits include films like “Mumon: The Land of Stealth”, “The Snow White Murder Case” and “Fish Story”. The present film was one of his first and the one that netted him the Kaneto Shindo Prize, given to the most promising new director by the Japan Film Makers’ Association.
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Based on Kotaro Isaka’s novel, the story revolves around college student Shiina, who has just moved to his apartment in Sendai, in order to study law. Almost immediately, he meets a rather strange neighbor his age, Kawasaki, who approaches him due to their common interest for Bob Dylan. Shiina is perplexed by Kawasaki’s behaviour, but takes a liking to him, despite his rather illogical talk...
Watch This Title
Based on Kotaro Isaka’s novel, the story revolves around college student Shiina, who has just moved to his apartment in Sendai, in order to study law. Almost immediately, he meets a rather strange neighbor his age, Kawasaki, who approaches him due to their common interest for Bob Dylan. Shiina is perplexed by Kawasaki’s behaviour, but takes a liking to him, despite his rather illogical talk...
- 5/27/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Don’t know why, but we’re always interested in Japanese projects, especially those who will premiere In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Takashi Miike‘s upcoming Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, or simply – Ichimei, is not an exception, although this movie will not be the only Japanese film at Cannes this year.
Ichimei is the first live-action 3D film to compete at any of the three major international film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice) and as we said, it will be screened with the English title Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. The movie is actually a 3D remake of Kobayashi Masaki’s 1962 film Seppuku, also known as Harakiri.
This time, Yamagishi Kikumi was in charge for the screenplay, and here’s the synopsis part:
“Seeking an honorable end, poverty-stricken samurai Hanshiro requests to commit hara-kiri in the courtyard of feudal lord Kageyu’s estate. Trying to dismiss Hanshiro’s wish to save face,...
Takashi Miike‘s upcoming Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, or simply – Ichimei, is not an exception, although this movie will not be the only Japanese film at Cannes this year.
Ichimei is the first live-action 3D film to compete at any of the three major international film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice) and as we said, it will be screened with the English title Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. The movie is actually a 3D remake of Kobayashi Masaki’s 1962 film Seppuku, also known as Harakiri.
This time, Yamagishi Kikumi was in charge for the screenplay, and here’s the synopsis part:
“Seeking an honorable end, poverty-stricken samurai Hanshiro requests to commit hara-kiri in the courtyard of feudal lord Kageyu’s estate. Trying to dismiss Hanshiro’s wish to save face,...
- 4/20/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
The Japanese film website Cinema Today recently uploaded a new trailer for Tatsushi Omori’s Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken to their channel on YouTube.
The film is based on Shion Miura’s 2006 Naoki Prize-winning novel of the same name. Eita stars a benriya (a general problem-solver who takes random odd jobs of all types for payment) based out of a fictitious Tokyo suburb called Mahoro. One day, a freak coincidence causes him to be reunited with a former classmate (Ryuhei Matsuda).
The two take jobs together and wind up interacting with a various clients, including a self-proclaimed Columbian prostitute named Lulu (Reiko Kataoka) and an elementary school student named Yuru (Kota Yokoyama).
The director’s brother, actor Nao Omori, also appears in the film.
Asmik Ace Entertainment will be releasing “Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken” in Japan on April 23, 2011.
The film is based on Shion Miura’s 2006 Naoki Prize-winning novel of the same name. Eita stars a benriya (a general problem-solver who takes random odd jobs of all types for payment) based out of a fictitious Tokyo suburb called Mahoro. One day, a freak coincidence causes him to be reunited with a former classmate (Ryuhei Matsuda).
The two take jobs together and wind up interacting with a various clients, including a self-proclaimed Columbian prostitute named Lulu (Reiko Kataoka) and an elementary school student named Yuru (Kota Yokoyama).
The director’s brother, actor Nao Omori, also appears in the film.
Asmik Ace Entertainment will be releasing “Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken” in Japan on April 23, 2011.
- 2/4/2011
- Nippon Cinema
On Monday, a relatively uneventful teaser for Tatsushi Omori’s Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken was posted on the Asmik Ace video channel on Yahoo! Eiga. A larger version is also available on the film’s official website.
The film is based on Shion Miura’s 2006 Naoki Prize-winning novel of the same name. Eita stars a benriya (a general problem-solver who takes random odd jobs of all types for payment) based out of a fictitious Tokyo suburb called Mahoro. One day, a freak coincidence causes him to be reunited with a former classmate (Ryuhei Matsuda).
The two take jobs together and wind up interacting with a various clients, including a self-proclaimed Columbian prostitute named Lulu (Reiko Kataoka) and a elementary school student named Yuru (Kota Yokoyama).
The director’s brother, actor Nao Omori, also appears in the film.
Asmik Ace Entertainment will be releasing “Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken” in Japan on...
The film is based on Shion Miura’s 2006 Naoki Prize-winning novel of the same name. Eita stars a benriya (a general problem-solver who takes random odd jobs of all types for payment) based out of a fictitious Tokyo suburb called Mahoro. One day, a freak coincidence causes him to be reunited with a former classmate (Ryuhei Matsuda).
The two take jobs together and wind up interacting with a various clients, including a self-proclaimed Columbian prostitute named Lulu (Reiko Kataoka) and a elementary school student named Yuru (Kota Yokoyama).
The director’s brother, actor Nao Omori, also appears in the film.
Asmik Ace Entertainment will be releasing “Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken” in Japan on...
- 12/14/2010
- Nippon Cinema
With Dear Doctor comes the feeling that something is always awry. It is greater than the sum of its parts and more complicated than it first seems. Coming across initially as a drama serial, the film eventually firmly places itself as a full length feature.
The majority of the film takes place in a small village, and the movie begins with most of the town searching for an elusive doctor, many disturbed and worried about him missing, particularly a young man and a pair of eager detectives.
Cut to some time in the past and that same young man intern Soma (dorama actor Eita) is travelling towards that village, ignorant and lost as he stumbles into the small town, slightly judgmental but ultimately sincere. The scene is ripe for some black comedy; funny locals ranging from the naïve elderly to the seriously selfish await Soma as he waits patiently for his boss,...
The majority of the film takes place in a small village, and the movie begins with most of the town searching for an elusive doctor, many disturbed and worried about him missing, particularly a young man and a pair of eager detectives.
Cut to some time in the past and that same young man intern Soma (dorama actor Eita) is travelling towards that village, ignorant and lost as he stumbles into the small town, slightly judgmental but ultimately sincere. The scene is ripe for some black comedy; funny locals ranging from the naïve elderly to the seriously selfish await Soma as he waits patiently for his boss,...
- 12/7/2010
- Screen Anarchy
A man on a bicycle finds a discarded white lab coat on the road at night. Then he puts the coat on. Miwa Nishikawa's Dear Doctor makes clear from the get-go what this film is really about. It's not the looks or the credentials that makes one a doctor, it's one's heart.
Adapting from her own novel, Nishikawa, a pupil of Hirokazu Kore-eda (Maboroshi, Nobody Knows), skillfully plays out a story of an imposter. In Kamiwada, a small rural village, the sudden disappearance of their beloved doctor, Dr. Ino (Tsurube Shofukutei), who's been serving them for the last three years, leaves its mostly elderly residents in shock and disbelief. Detectives are soon frustrated with conflicting information given by the villagers with no clear picture of who Ino really is.
The film jumps back and forth between the police investigation in to the disappearance and the happier times with Dr.
Adapting from her own novel, Nishikawa, a pupil of Hirokazu Kore-eda (Maboroshi, Nobody Knows), skillfully plays out a story of an imposter. In Kamiwada, a small rural village, the sudden disappearance of their beloved doctor, Dr. Ino (Tsurube Shofukutei), who's been serving them for the last three years, leaves its mostly elderly residents in shock and disbelief. Detectives are soon frustrated with conflicting information given by the villagers with no clear picture of who Ino really is.
The film jumps back and forth between the police investigation in to the disappearance and the happier times with Dr.
- 7/2/2010
- Screen Anarchy
[Our thanks go out to Chris MaGee and Marc Saint-Cyr at the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow for sharing their coverage of the 2010 Nippon Connection Film Festival.]
Osamu Ino (Tsurube Shôfukutei), a small town doctor in rural Japan, has gone missing. Except for a white lab coat found in a nearby field there is no sign of the much loved physician. Police begin to investigate his disappearance, but very quickly they discover that the details of Dr. Ino's life just doesn't add up. First off the locals, mostly senior citizens, people who normally know everyone's business in town, can't agree on what exactly Dr. Ino's background is. Some are certain that his father was a factory owner from Osaka, others say Ino comes from a family of woodworkers in Kyoto. There's also the sense that his colleagues at the local medical clinic, nurse Akemi Otake (Kimiko Yo), young medical intern Keiskue Soma (Eita), as well as phramaceutical rep Saimon (Teruyuki Kagawa), weren't entirely convinced of Dr Ino's skills despite their deep admiration of him. They aren't the...
Osamu Ino (Tsurube Shôfukutei), a small town doctor in rural Japan, has gone missing. Except for a white lab coat found in a nearby field there is no sign of the much loved physician. Police begin to investigate his disappearance, but very quickly they discover that the details of Dr. Ino's life just doesn't add up. First off the locals, mostly senior citizens, people who normally know everyone's business in town, can't agree on what exactly Dr. Ino's background is. Some are certain that his father was a factory owner from Osaka, others say Ino comes from a family of woodworkers in Kyoto. There's also the sense that his colleagues at the local medical clinic, nurse Akemi Otake (Kimiko Yo), young medical intern Keiskue Soma (Eita), as well as phramaceutical rep Saimon (Teruyuki Kagawa), weren't entirely convinced of Dr Ino's skills despite their deep admiration of him. They aren't the...
- 4/15/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Korea’s Mother won the top honor at the 4th Asian Film Awards, picking up Best Picture, while Chinese and Hong Kong films sweeped the other major award categories. After the grand opening of Hkiff on Sunday night, the ceremony has been held on the following day, adding an extra kick to the film festival. Bong Joon-ho’s murder mystery predictably won in a category that has previously been dominated by Korean films. - Korea’s Mother won the top honor at the 4th Asian Film Awards, picking up Best Picture, while Chinese and Hong Kong films sweeped the other major award categories. After the grand opening of Hkiff on Sunday night, the ceremony has been held on the following day, adding an extra kick to the film festival. Bong Joon-ho’s murder mystery predictably won in a category that has previously been dominated by Korean films. Not surprisingly,...
- 3/23/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
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