Under the banner Am I Right? Justice, Justification and Judgement in Japanese Cinema, eight specially selected films are being screened, ranging from stage adaptations and thrillers to quirky comedies and a rare revival of a '70s classic.
Ichiko (Sat 8 Feb) sees director Toda Akihiro adapting his own critically acclaimed stage play. When his fiancé vanishes without a trace, Hasegawa discovers there's no record of her ever existing in a powerful exploration of poverty, abuse and Japan's family register system.
The first of various adaptations of crime and mystery writer Yokomizo Seishi’s best-selling novel, 1976's The Inugami Family (Tue 11 Feb) is a thrilling ensemble mystery by Ichikawa Kon (Ten Dark Women) which set a new standard for Japanese noir.
A period drama which shines a contemporary light on traditional subject matters, Bushido (Thu 13 Feb) finds a ronin (unemployed samurai) accused of a crime he did not commit setting out to restore his honour.
The arrival of a live-in farmhand turns family life upside down in actor-turned-director Ushimaru Ryo’s remarkable debut, Qualia (Sat 15 Feb and Mon 17 Feb) - a quirky, chaotic black comedy adapted from the hit theatrical production.
Day and Night (Thu 20 Feb and Sat 22 Feb) is a profoundly original drama that directly challenges the fundamental concepts of good and evil. When his father, a whistle-blower at a large automobile company, commits suicide, Koji finds himself caught in the crossfire.
Director Hara Hiroto pulls back the veil on the inner machinations of the Japanese police force and intelligence agency in Sakura (Mon 24 Feb and Wed 26 Feb), a suspenseful and absorbing mystery-thriller.
Three sisters plan to celebrate their mother's birthday at a hot spring resort. But with each having their own idea of how to mark the occasion, the gathering soon turns to chaos in screwball comedy To Mom, With Love (Thu 27 Feb and Mon 3 Mar).
Finally, In The Wake (Tue 4 Mar and Thu 6 Mar) is a taut social thriller from Zeze Takahisa (Tomorrow’s Dinner Table, My Friend ‘A’). Set in the years after a city was ravaged by an earthquake, two social workers are found starved to death.
In collaboration with the Japan Foundation
Major Supporters: Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
Sponsors in Kind: Athletia, Calbee, Clearspring, Pentel and SUQQU
