J Firing the Lighter Gun
SANADA Kohei • 眞田康平 (Japan 2023 | 118 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) Tatsuya lives near a nuclear disaster zone, working for the yakuza that run the clean-up business. Ex-prisoner Ryo and sex worker Mari join him. All try to hang on to their humanity amidst their grim surroundings. A compelling portrait of a nuclear aftermath and a careful consideration of the exploitation of those on the margins of society.
Fri. 22-09, 19:30 (Q&A) & Sat. 23-09 21:45 (Q&A) LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
* I Am What I Am • そばかす TAMADA Shinya • 玉田真也 (Japan 2022 | 104 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) Kasumi is 30 years old and single. She’s never been in love and has never felt attracted to anyone. At a marriage arrangement meeting, she unexpectedly meets a kindred spirit. MIURA Toko (Drive My Car) shines in this antiromance, which sincerely, sensibly and delicately highlights the plight of the asexual.
Thurs. 21-09, 22:00 & Fri. 22-09, 14:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sat. 30-09, 16:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* Is this Heaven? • 天国か、ここ？ IMAOKA Shinji • いまお
かしんじ (Japan 2023 61 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
In a wonderfully weird afterlife, in which all the sounds are muted and everyone seems to be dancing, a middle-aged man with a drinking problem wanders around and stumbles upon both strangers and people from his past, including his wife. This experimental feature is a peculiar flavour, but once you adapt to the dreamlike vibe, you’re in for a treat.
Thurs. 21-09, 12:30 & Fri. 22-09, 13:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Sat. 30-09, 12:45, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* Life of Mariko in Kabukicho • 探偵マリコの生涯で一
UCHIDA Eiji • 高橋正弥 & KATAYAMA Shinzo
片山慎三 (Japan 2023 | 116 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) 28-year-old Mariko runs a detective agency and works at a bar in Kabukicho. Her regular bar customers include her lover, two assassins and an ex-yakuza. One day, the FBI asks her to find an alien. The investigation makes her confront her past. A surrealistic comedy full of crazy characters, making the most of its nightlife district setting.
Thurs. 21-09, 19:30 & Fri. 22-09, 12:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Fri. 29-09, 19:00, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
*#Manhole • #マンホール KUMAKIRI Kazuyoshi • 熊切和嘉 (Japan 2023 | 99 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
After his bachelor party, Shunsuke falls into an open manhole. Injured, he tries to escape with only his smartphone to help him out. As it starts to rain, he increasingly begins to doubt whether his predicament is really an accident. A claustrophobic thriller with surprising twists, sardonic humour and edge-of-your-seat suspense.
Fri. 22-09, 22:00 & Sat. 23-09, 12:45, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Sun. 01-10, 17:00, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* Baby Assassins 2 Babies • ベイビーわるきゅーれ 2ベイビー
SAKAMOTO Yugo • 阪元裕吾 (Japan 2023 | 101 min Colour | Eng. sub.) Teen assassins Chisato and Mahiro are back! But their agency has ordered them to stop their killing work. When they’re being pursued by two other professional killers, can they stop them, when they’ve officially retired? Harder, faster, stronger sequel with even better action scenes and just as much fun. Thurs. 21-09, 22:15 & Fri. 22-09, 10:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Fri. 29-09, 21:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
Bad Lands • バッド・ランズ HARADA Masato • 原田眞人 (Japan 2023 | 143 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Slickly directed thriller about a woman and her younger brother, who are conning their way through life. When they make a big score, it means that they are also now on the radar of several different opponents. This frantically paced crime thriller is made in the style of Pulp Fiction and its many nineties heirs.
Thurs. 21-09, 12:00 & Fri. 22-09, 21:30, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Sat. 30-09, 21:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
Baian the Assassin, M.D. 1 • 仕掛人、 藤枝梅安 KAWAKE Shunsaku • 河毛俊作 ( Japan 2023 | 134 min Colour | Eng. sub.) Baian is a skilled acupuncturist, but secretly also an assassin. Although he only kills those who deserve it. When Baian is hired for a dodgy job, things go awry. And then a wanted samurai enters the fray. A stylishly shot and beautifully lit historical thriller, based on the books by IKENAMI Shotaro.
Thurs. 21-09, 16:30 & Sat. 23-09, 19:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Sat. 30-09, 14:15, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
Cafune • カフネ KINEMURA Haruki • 杵村春希 (Japan 2023 | 66 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) A teenager gets pregnant. Her and her boyfriend’s parents wrestle with the responsibility, while the youngsters figure out their future. An impressive debut, delicately depicting different desires and conflicts.
Preceded by TRACE Olivier KAZUMA (Japan/Belgium 2023 | 17 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Sat. 23-09, 15:15 & Sun. 24-09, 10:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Thurs. 28-09, 12:45, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* December • 赦し Anshul CHAUHAN • アンシュル・ チョウハン (Japan 2022 | 99 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) Two exes reunite to fight the release of their daughter’s murderer, but are forced to confront difficult questions of punishment and redemption while their grief threatens to consume them again. A gripping, humanistic and psychologically nuanced courtroom drama with social commentary, compelling characters and excellent cinematography and staging.
Fri. 22-09, 12:00 & Sun. 24-09, 10:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Fri. 29-09, 21:45, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
Fri. 22-09, 19:45 & Sat. 23-09, 10:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sun. 01-10, 19:00, LAB 111 / Amsterdam feature films
* Egoist • エゴイスト MATSUNAGA Daishi • 松永大司 (Japan 2022 | 120 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) Fashion editor Kosuke meets handsome young man Ryuta at a workout session. Quickly he falls in love. When Ryuta returns Kosuke’s feelings, a passionate love affair begins, but it’s soon put to the test by family bonds and grief. A compelling, multi-faceted and deeply touching drama about love and loss.
* Love Will Tear Us Apart • ラヴ・ウィル・テア・アス・アパ ート UGANA Kenichi • 宇賀那健一 (Japan
MAYHEM GIRLs • メイヘムガールズ FUJITA Shinichi
• 藤田真一 (Japan 2022 98 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
High schooler Mizuho suddenly gains psychokinetic superpowers. She befriends three other girls who can either teleport, go inside the internet or are telepathic. When Mizuho starts using her powers to impress an older boy, mayhem ensues. Great power doesn’t mean great responsibilities in the hands of these girls, but it does mean a lot of fun.
Fri. 22-09, 14:45 & Sun. 24-09, 22:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sat. 30-09, 21:45, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* Mondays: See You ’This’ Week! • MONDAYS／このタ イムループ、上司に気づかせないと終わらない TAKEBAYASHI Ryo
竹林亮 (Japan 2022 | 83 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Inventive low-budget time loop comedy, in which a group of coworkers discover that they are stuck repeating the same terrible week. To escape, they must convince their boss to follow his dreams. Preceded by Salaryman Robin KIKIC (NL/Japan 2022 | 15 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
* Mountain Woman • 山女
FUKUNAGA Takeshi • 福永壮志 (Japan 2022 | 100 min | Colour Eng. sub.) Rin is already despised by her village in 18th-century rural northern Japan. Then her hungry father steals some rice. She takes the blame and is driven away from the village onto Mount Hayachine, where the spirits of the dead are said to ascend. A mystic drama evoking old legends and an uncompromising meditation on finding oneness and liberation.
Sat. 23-09, 10:00 & Sun. 24-09, 17:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sun. 01-10, 12:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
& Sat. 23-09, 19:45 (Q&A), LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Thurs. 28-09, 17:15, LAB 111 / Amsterdam * People Who Talk to Plushies
Sat. 23-09, 17:15 & Sun. 24-09, 14:45, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Fri. 29-09, 19:15, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
black-and-white cinematography.
Fri. 22-09, 17:00 & Sat. 23-09, 17:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sun. 01-10, 21:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam JTsugaru Lacquer
Natchan’s Little Secret • ひみつのなっちゃん TANAKA
Yasujiro • 田中和次朗 (Japan 2023 | 97 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) After drag queen Natchan dies, several of her friends come together to travel and reminisce. The grieving process gets difficult: Natchan was not out of the closet to her family, which divides the opinions of the group. A fun, feel-good road movie, full of campy drag performances, in the spirit of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Sat. 23-09, 14:45 & Sun. 24-09, 22:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sat. 30-09, 14:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* New Religion • ニューレリジョン KONDO Keishi (Japan 2022 | 100 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) After her daughter dies, sex worker Miyabi gets strange requests, that lead her closer to her daughter’s spirit but also to society’s collapse. A bold, atmospheric, provocative horror. Preceded by Flashback Before Death ISHIHARA Rii/ONOGAWA Hiroyuki (Japan 2022 | 30 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Thurs. 21-09, 17:00 & Sun. 24-09, 19:30, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sat. 30-09, 19:00, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
Thurs. 21-09, 14:30 & Sun. 24-09, 17:30, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Fri. 29-09, 16:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* Tea Friends • 茶飲友達 SOTOYAMA Bunji • 外山文治 (Japan 2023 | 134 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) A group of youngsters run a ‘tea drinking’ club: a prostitution business specialising in sex workers over 65 years old. This socially conscious drama, inspired by actual events, shines a light on individuals living hopeless lives while asking how different generations should interact and coexist.
Thurs. 21-09, 19:30 & Fri. 22-09, 12:45, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Thurs. 28-09, 14:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
*Your Lovely Smile • あなたの微笑み LIM
Fri. 22-09, 10:30 & Sat. 23-09, 12:30, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Fri. 29-09, 14:15, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
*Origami • 折り紙 KOTANI Tadasuke • 小谷忠典
(Japan 2021 | 53 min | Colour | Eng. sub)
Painter SUWA Atsushi is asked to paint a portrait of a couple’s deceased son. To learn about him, he studies photos and talks to his loved ones about their memories. A deep, moving documentary on grief and the power of memory.
Preceded by Quoting Masterpieces Koert DAVIDSE (NL/Japan 2023 | 12 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Thurs. 21-09, 14:45 & Sat. 23-09, 12:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Polan• ポラン NAKAMURA Kota • 中村洸太
(Japan 2022 75 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
An elderly couple prepares for the closure of their bookshop. Kyosuke says farewell to the customers, the shelves come down and his wife Chiseko starts managing an online shop. Their only staff member starts her own bookshop. This intimate, nostalgic documentary is a charming ode to bookshops and the love of books.
Sat 23-09, 10:15 & Sun. 24-09, 10:30, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Fri. 29-09, 12:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
The Night Before Upheaval • 世界で戦うフィルムたち KAMEYAMA Mutsuki • 亀山睦木 (Japan 2023 | 113 min | Colour | Eng. sub.) Filmmaker KAMEYAMA Mutsuki presents a sincere and intricate pursuit of getting their film 12 Months of KAI screened at foreign film festivals. This documentary provides an insider look at and fascinating perspective on international film festival applications, directors’ struggles to gain recognition, and the impact of COVID-19 on the film industry.
The Oldest Profession • (秘)色情めす市場
TANAKA Noboru • 田中 登 (Japan 1974 | 83 min | Colour and b&w | Eng. sub.) A compelling character study with dark humour and style to spare. A strong-willed sex worker tries to survive her job and her dysfunctional family in 1970s Osaka. A new girl still has hope for a different future. A harrowing Roman Porno classic, with inventive camerawork and mood-specific colour changes. Sat. 23-09, 22:30 LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
| b&w | Eng. sub.) A boy steals a knife from an old samurai, setting off a strange chain of events, including gamblers, impostors, swindlers and rōnin. An excellent mix of understated comedy, tragic romance and coming-of-age crime film, with a thrilling action climax. One of three surviving masterpieces by YAMANAKA Sadao, starring a young HARA Setsuko.
Sat. 23-09, 13:30 (Q&A) & Sun. 24-09, 12:30 (Q&A), LantarenVenster / Rotterdam * UMUI - Guardians of Traditions • ウムイ 「芸能の村」 Daniel LÓPEZ • ダニエル・ロペス (Japan 2022 75 min | Colour | Eng. Sub.) Of the five main Japanese islands, Okinawa may be the smallest in size, but by no means in tradition. As a Swiss-born Okinawan resident, director LÓPEZ captures the artistic legacy of traditional Ryukyu dance and sanshin music. This documentary intimately illustrates the Okinawan people’s desire to nurture the longevity of their performative arts.
Fri. 22-09, 15:30 (Q&A) & Sun. 24-09, 15:15 (Q&A), LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sat. 30-09, 12:30, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
* Blue Thermal • ブルーサーマル TACHIBANA Masaki • 橘正紀 (Japan 2022 | 103 minutes | Colour | Eng. sub.)
At the start of university, Tsuru is dreaming of joining the tennis club and finding the love of her life. Through a series of unfortunate events, however, she ends up in the gliding club and discovers her love of flying. Lovely adult animation about growing up and finding your passion, set in the fascinating and obscure world of competitive gliding.
Fri. 22-09, 16:30 & Sat. 23-09, 17:15, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam Sun. 01-10, 16:45, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
*Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom • 金の国 水の国 WATANABE Kotono • 渡邉こと乃 (Japan 2022 | 117 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
The war between two neighbouring Central Asian kingdoms should be settled with the arranged marriage between Princess Sara and scholar Naranbayar. However, an evil scheme threatens to stop this. A beautifully drawn, Madhouse-produced debut, with an original twist to the Romeo and Juliet story.
Sat. 23-09, 14:45 & Sun. 24-09, 17:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
14:45, LAB 111 / Amsterdam
Macross Plus • マクロスプラス WATANABE Shinichiro • 渡辺 信一郎 & KAWAMORI Shoji • 河森 正治 (Japan 1995 | 115 min | Colour Eng. sub.) After the great war between humans and the Zentradi, two former friends with personal grudges test transforming fighter jets while competing for the love of the producer of a singing AI. Marvellous machinery, lovely landscapes, stunning action sequences and vital music by KANNO Yoko make this a spectacular sci-fi animation classic. Sun. 24-09, 14:30, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Sun. 24-09, 20:00 LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
Spaghetti Ramen • スパゲッティらーめん OZAWA Kikuno
• オザワ キクノ (2018 | 98 min Colour | Eng. Sub.)
Five years after the passing of OZAWA Kikuno, his family found CAMERA JAPAN for an exclusive screening of this low-budget avant-garde live-action/animation hybrid. A paranoid fever dream, in which a girl sees her parents’ marriage falling apart, while a praying mantis, turtles and crawling eyeballs tell her to save the universe.
Wed. 20-09, 20:00, WORM / Rotterdam
Tokyo Pop • 東京ポップ Fran RUBEL KUZUI • (Japan / USA 1988 | 100 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
An American view of Japanese new wave pop, telling a fish-out-of-water-story about a young American girl trying to hit it big in Japan. A great time capsule of eighties fashion, art and music, that is of its time, but at times also refreshingly forward-thinking. Unjustly almost forgotten, but now newly restored.
Thurs. 21-09, 22:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam
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The Frightful Era of Kurama Tengu • 鞍馬天 狗 恐怖時代 YAMAGUCHI Teppei (Japan 1928 | 30 min | b&w | Eng. sub.) This first film in the Kurama Tengu series packs sword fights of exhilarating speed, an underwater chase sequence, child street acrobats, a haunted house and evil doppelgangers into just the surviving 38 minutes. With its masked hero and impressive action scenes, this crowd-pleaser from the silent era shows that superhero films have existed for a long time.
rōnin
A parody of Japanese period film with a sharp sense of satire. Surviving fragments have been edited together for a digest version. Fri. 22-09, 20:00, LantarenVenster / Rotterdam (Both films are provided with a live
