The Calming

Song Fang : 2020
Ping jing

Lin only talks of the break-up once, at lunch with her friend in Japan, where her installation is being shown. It goes unmentioned when she visits her parents back in China or stays with her friend in Hong Kong, even though the removal company has taken her things to the new apartment already. Most of the time she's alone though. Lin is a filmmaker and often on the move, each trip blurring into the next. Her gaze is inquisitive wherever she goes, as if collecting material for a film: looking out of the window of the new apartment, observing the girl in the same hospital ward, examining light and foliage in the parks she hikes through. On trains, in cars, on boats, she watches different landscapes pass before her, snowy mountains, neon cityscapes, misty plains, as long as her eyes stay open. The hushed portrait of a woman alone in which looking and feeling go hand in hand. Song Fang's feature premiered in the Forum section at Berlin International Film Festival 2020.

Listen to the Universe

Kei Ishikawa : 2019

Four young pianists take part in the preliminary round of an international competition. Each has a story that is different and unique. Aya is a former piano prodigy who won junior contests all over the world but distanced herself from the piano after the death of her mother when she was 13. Now she is back. Akashi works at a music store, he has a wife and kids. Unable to give up on his dream, he enters the competition. Masaru is a top student at an elite music academy struggling with the pressure of being the strongest champion. The fourth, Jin, is the mysterious young legacy of the world's greatest pianist, now deceased. The fierce rivalry of an international competition makes these pianists inspire each other and confront themselves. On the way to the final they will experience growth, awakening and change. Kei Ishikawa's feature had its international premiere in competition at Warsaw International Film Festival 2019.

They Say Nothing Stays the Same

Joe Odagiri : 2019
Aru Sendo no Hanashi

Toichi is a boatman who ferries the villagers to a town on the other side of the river. Besides rowing a boat for the villagers all day long, he barely has any communication with others except Genzo, a young neighbour. In the upstream of the river, a large bridge is being constructed. Everyone is excited, but Toichi has mixed feelings about it. One day, Toichi meets a mysterious young girl. Having no family and no place to go, Toichi lets her stay with him, but this encounter starts to bring about changes to Toichi's life. Joe Odagiri's feature directorial debut premiered in competition at Venice Days 2019.

Vision

Naomi Kawase : 2018

Jeanne is a French essayist who has come to Japan in search of "vision", a herb that appears but once every 997 years and is said to strip away all spiritual anguish and weakness in human beings. Upon arriving in Nara, she meets the taciturn Tomo and his mentor Aki, a charismatic prophet and keeper of the forests who claims to be 1,000 years old. Not long after Tomo agrees to let Jeanne stay with him, Aki vanishes, yet a young man appears almost as if in her place. As the sacred moment of vision's return looms, past events are summoned, new connections are forged, and time itself seems to slip from its perceived order – yielding new possibilities for human existence. Naomi Kawase's feature had its international premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2018, and its UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival 2019.

37 Seconds

Hikari : 2019

Yuma is a 23-year-old woman from Tokyo. When she commutes by train to her job in a manga studio, her face is at hip height to the other passengers standing up. Yuma uses a wheelchair on account of cerebral palsy. Her deformed limbs only allow her to crawl – and to hold a pencil. The fact that her boss, a successful comic artist and blogger named Sayaka, who has a penchant for garish Fairy Kei attire, passes Yuma's drawing ideas off as her own, dismays the talented 'mangaka'. Even worse, her overprotective mother hardly lets her out of her sight and refuses to talk about her father. As Yuma attempts to live a more independent life, she stumbles across adult comics – manga porn – and toys with the idea of drawing some herself. The publisher advises her to gain some personal experience first. But what happens when a woman in a wheelchair asks a tout in Tokyo's red light district to fix her up with a sex date? Hikari's feature directorial debut won the CICAE Award and the Audience Award when it premiered in the Panorama section at Berlin International Film Festival 2019.

Shoplifters

Kore-eda Hirokazu : 2018
Manbiki kazoku

After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl, Yuri, in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu's wife Nobuyo agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Yet they don't contact the authorities, not even when her disappearance becomes a national news story two months later. Instead they cut her hair and treat her as a daughter, with Osamu taking her on his father-son shoplifting trips. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them. Kore-eda Hirokazu's feature was winner of the Palme d'Or when it premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2018.

Hikari

Naomi Kawase : 2017
Radiance

Misako Ozaki is employed by the company White Light to write audio descriptions for blind cinema goers. Among the consultants who evaluate her work and offer guidance is Masaya Nakamori, a renowned photographer struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is losing his sight. Masaya tries to make the most of his last remaining glimmers of vision to continue working with his Rolleiflex. Meanwhile, Misako is bearing her own burden of grief after losing her father a few years ago, and she is anxious about the advancing illness of her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's and lives under supervision in the countryside despite exhortations that she should be placed in a care home. Misako then discovers Nakamori's photographs, who will strangely bring her back to her past. Together, they will learn to see the radiant world that was invisible to her eyes. Naomi Kawase's feature was winner of the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury when it premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2017.

Close-Knit

Naoko Ogigami : 2017
Karera ga Honki de Amu toki wa

Eleven-year-old Tomo is pretty much left to her own devices. Unwashed dishes are piling up in the sink and supermarket onigiri are all there is to eat again. Tomo's single mother usually comes home late, and drunk. When she leaves her daughter for good one day the girl has to rely on help from her uncle, Makio, who takes in Tomo to live with him and his girlfriend Rinko. At their first meeting Tomo is flabbergasted to discover that Rinko is a transsexual. She works as a caregiver in a nursing home where Makio's mother Sayuri who suffers from dementia is living. Rinko immediately sets about taking care of Tomo; not only does she lovingly prepare meals but she also succeeds in creating a new home for the girl. A story about finding a way out of one's loneliness; in the case of Tomo and her new family the solution is a mixture of human warmth, good food and the symbolic act of knitting. In quietly concentrated images the film portrays non-normative sexuality as a natural way of life and describes the value of families that are defined not by convention but by a loving, caring environment. Naoko Ogigami's feature was winner of the Teddy Jury Award when it premiered in the Panorama section at Berlin International Film Festival 2017.

Seed

Naomi Kawase : 2016

The girl was born amid rays of the divine light. Reaching out for a white seed, she begins to walk in the direction of the light shining on the earth. Emotions are transferred from objects to people and from people to the girl. The girl is more like a fairy, a mysterious creature. A boy offers her the gift of an apple, which she in turn gives to a homeless man, who proffers a soft piece of chiffon fabric in return. Moving like a tree that sways in the wind, the girl expresses a spirit that secretly runs through places and living things. Seed is the story of the journey this girl takes from the enchanted nature of Nara to the chaos of Tokyo, and the encounters she has along the way. Seed is also a sentimental portrait of Asian femininity, which Kawase depicts as "primitive, primal and erotic at the same time." The eleventh commission from designer Miu Miu as part of "Women's Tales", a series of short films by women who critically celebrate femininity in the 21st century. Naomi Kawase's film screened at Venice Days 2016.

West North West

Nakamura Takuro : 2015

Kei and Ai are a lesbian couple. Kei works at a cocktail bar, while Ai works as a fashion model. Fearing she'll be ostracised by society, Kei chooses not to admit her sexual orientation to anyone, and as a result, she becomes distressed and lonely. One day, Kei gets close to Naima, a shy, withdrawn Iranian student studying art in Japan. Ai quickly becomes jealous of them and their budding friendship. Kei gradually becomes pessimistic as she thinks about a future with Ai, and Ai worries that she will lose Kei. In the meantime, Naima is having a hard time understanding what Kei wants despite growing closer to her. All three of them are embarrassed and insecure but eventually they begin to share their feelings. Capturing their turbulent emotions, fragile as glass, the film portrays the unstable lives of these young people who have lost a sense of direction in their lives. Nakamura Takuro's second feature premiered in the New Currents section at Busan International Film Festival 2015.

Taksu

Kiki Sugino : 2014
Yokudô

Suffering from an incurable disease, Chihiro is always thinking about death, worrying all those around him. He struggles as his desire to live wanes over time. Chihiro and his wife, Yuri, decide to go on a trip to see his sister Kumi's home in Bali, which Yuri hopes will be a healing trip for both of them. But instead of calmness, Chihiro's encounter with the exotic Balinese culture and nature brings to the surface long-hidden tensions in their relationship. Exhausted by the stubborn melancholy of her husband, Yuri succumbs to a sensuous one night stand with beach boy Wayang. Chihiro sinks deeper into the void, placing increasing pressure on both their own relationship and that with Kumi and her Dutch partner Luke who are preparing for the birth of their child. The film questions whether there is hope for the possibility of communication and a level of understanding among them, when in truth they are all separated by needs and desires that essentially are driving them apart. Kiki Sugino's feature premiered at Busan International Film Festival 2014, and had its German premiere at Filmfest München 2015.

Umimachi Diary

Kore-eda Hirokazu : 2015
Our Little Sister

Three sisters, Sachi, Yoshino and Chika, live together in an old large house in the city of Kamakura. When their father – absent from the family home for the last 15 years – dies, they travel to the countryside for his funeral. There, they discover the existence of Suzu, a shy 13-year-old half-sister. Bonding quickly with the orphaned Suzu, they invite her to live with them. Suzu eagerly agrees, and a new life of joyful discovery begins for the four siblings. Based on the original graphic novel by Akimi Yoshida, the film chronicles four seasons of the sisters in their beautiful seaside home near Tokyo. By portraying the ripples of life with all the rituals and traditions of the family, the director lets the audience witness the quiet, yet turbulent, emotional turmoil of these sisters who learn to embrace the world and themselves. Kore-eda Hirokazu's feature premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2015.

An

Naomi Kawase : 2015
Sweet Red Bean Paste

Sentaro runs a small bakery that serves dorayakis – pastries filled with sweet red bean paste, "an". When an old lady, Tokue, offers to help in the kitchen he reluctantly accepts. But Tokue proves to have magic in her hands when it comes to making "an". Thanks to her secret recipe, the little business soon flourishes. And with time, Sentaro and Tokue will open their hearts to reveal old wounds. An adaption of the original novel by Tetsuya Akikawa, the film evokes the regrets of a lifetime, the self-destruction that goes hand in hand with despair, the distress of feeling useless in the world – but despite that, or because of it, placing so much hope in the future. Naomi Kawase's feature premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.

Dari Marusan

Takahashi Izumi : 2014

Traditional Japanese wooden Daruma dolls have no ears. At school, hearing-impaired Dari's classmates gave her the nickname 'Dari Marusan' in reference to such dolls. Whilst Dari has now adopted the name as her own, she hasn't got over the hurt. Yoshikawa is a severely traumatised man who keeps his distance from other people and thinks he has severed all links to the past. He secludes himself from the feeling of regret for an act he committed towards a friend. Dari works for an agency that tracks down missing pets, and is given the assignment of finding the parrot that Yoshikawa lost two years previously. When the sensitive Dari and the gruff, inconsiderate Yoshikawa meet, old wounds resurface for the both of them. She will have to figure out what her client has really lost and find her own dignity in the process. Takahashi Izumi's feature premiered at Tokyo FILMeX 2014, and had its European premiere in the Forum section at Berlin International Film Festival 2015.

My Man

Kumakiri Kazuyoshi : 2014
Watashi no Otoko

When 10-year-old Hana is orphaned by the earthquake and tsunami which decimated Okushiri Island, Hokkaido in July 1993, she is adopted by 26-year-old Jungo, a distant relative. Over the next fifteen years the comfort of family they find in each other has them embrace a shared sense of loss, and despite Hana's traumatic past, they live as father and daughter. As they become absolutely dependent upon one another, their relationship slowly turns physical, and when their secret is disclosed, leading to various conflicts with the people around them, they flee Hokkaido in the hope of a new life in Tokyo. Based on Sakuraba Kazuki's controversial Naoki Award-winning novel. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi's feature was winner of the awards for Best Film and Best Actor at Moscow International Film Festival 2014.

The Furthest End Awaits

Chiang Hsiu-chiung : 2014
Saihate nite – Kakegae no Nai Basho

Misaki Yoshida runs a roasting coffee shop in Tokyo. She lives alone. When her father disappears, Misaki is left only with debts and an old family boathouse at the very tip of the Noto Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan. Vowing to make good on her father's obligations, she transforms the boathouse into a small cafe, which becomes a beacon for her local community. Eriko Yamazaki, who works at a cabaret, struggles to identify with her role as the single parent of two young children. Misaki is her new neighbour. As the women's friendship deepens, they begin to influence each other and slowly their lives are transformed. Observing the dynamics of familial responsibility and the quiet nostalgia of grief, Chiang Hsiu-chiung's feature debut is a beautiful and sensitive portrayal of the value of family in today's society. Her film premiered at Busan International Film Festival 2014, and had its European premiere at London Film Festival 2014.

Au revoir l'été

Fukada Koji : 2013
Hotori no Sakuko

A girl on the edge of adulthood learns about the deceptions of the adult world. Eighteen-year-old secondary school student Sakuko accompanies her aunt Mikie on a holiday to a resort town on the coast far from Tokyo. Besides cycling trips and strolls on the beach, Mikie hopes to use the two week holiday to complete her research project. Among the new faces Sakuko encounters are a philandering college professor, a tough young waitress, and Takashi, a refugee from Fukushima who works in the hotel belonging to Ukichi, a friend of Mikie's sister. With carefully observed scenes, the film captures the mood of a languid holiday, whilst subtly sketching the psychology of the different characters. Fukada Koji's third feature was winner of the Jury Prize for Best Director at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2013.

Still the Water

Naomi Kawase : 2014
Futatsume no mado

On the subtropical Japanese island of Amami, traditions about nature remain eternal. During the full-moon night of traditional dances in August, 16-year-old Kaito discovers a dead body floating in the sea. His girlfriend Kyoko will attempt to help him understand this mysterious discovery. Together, Kaito and Kyoko will learn to become adults by experiencing the interwoven cycles of life, death and love. Naomi Kawase's eighth feature premiered in competition at Festival de Cannes 2014.

The Lake

Miyakawa Shin'ichi : 2013
Mizuumi wa hito wo nomikomu

A hand with a camera emerges from a lake. This surreal scene is like a period in the personal correspondence between two Japanese filmmakers. In the director's mind, the faded 8mm footage depicts artifacts that evoke phantoms of the past. But besides aimless wanderings through the streets of his hometown, a collection of photographs of a women's wrestling team, or the handmade mask of Mexican superhero El Santa, the camera also shows its own image. In this experimental correspondence written with a camera instead of a pen, the central theme is one of mirrors and reflections representing the connection between subject and object, life and film. Miyakawa Shin'ichi's film premiered in Spectrum Shorts at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2014, and won the Grand Prize at the Image Forum Festival 2014.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

David Zellner : 2014

The juddering, crackling video images tell us it's a true story from the outset, even if what follows feels like a fairy tale. A woman in red called Kumiko walks along the shoreline in search of a cave. There lies what she seeks – the videotape from which the images are taken. Watching it back at her cramped Tokyo flat, what the film shows thus must have really taken place: a tale of violent deception in the harsh Minnesota winter, a man burying money in the snow, treasure just waiting to be found. For a treasure hunter like Kumiko, what better way of leaving all that awkward conversation, office drudgery and motherly nagging behind? Yet being a modern-day conquistador is not without sacrifice: there's no place for a rabbit on this trip and North Dakota can be awfully cold. But it can't be all that hard, can it? It's a true story after all. Head to Fargo, cling on to the map and let no one lead you off-track. Blending real life and fiction, a cautionary tale on the perils of imagination: how seductive it is to believe what we want to believe. David Zellner's feature premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2014.