July 1-10 Shang Cineplex Cinema 4, EDSA, Mandaluyong City
July22-24 Gaisano Grand Citimall, Davao City
August 2-7 Ayala Center Cinema 4, Cebu City
August 17-20 UP Film Institute, UP Diliman, Quezon City
An exquisite Japanese cinematic masterpiece at all levels—visual, aural, emotional, spiritual, awaits Eiga Sai fanatics this July featuring Departures, winner of the 81st Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009. The Eiga Sai opens on July 1 (Friday) at the Shang Cineplex Cinema 2, Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA, Mandaluyong City as a kick-off event of the month-long festivity.
"Departures" takes a bizarre and unique subject with heartwarming scenes and outstanding acting performances by Masahiro Motoki, who played the role of Daigo Kobayashi, an aspiring cellist who eventually takes the job of an encoffinner, sending the deceased body off to final departure with dignity. He coveted the Best Actor awards (32nd Japan Academy Prize in 2008 and Kinema Junpo Awards in 2009) for his role in the film complimenting the brilliant mind of its acclaimed director Yojiro Takita.
The film festival officially reels off with an invitational screening and special performance of Mr. Renato Lucas, the principal cellist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra together with pianist—Ms. Naomi Sison, at 7:00 P.M. at the Atrium Plaza, Shangri-la Plaza.
“Eiga Sai,” which literally means ‘film festival’ now on its 13th year is organized by the Japan Foundation, Manila together with the Embassy of Japan, The Shangri-La Plaza Corporation, UP Film Institute and supported by Lyric Piano, and ClickTheCity.com.
Completing this year’s roster of exciting films to be featured are The Summit: Chronicle of Stones; The Chef of South Polar; One Million Yen Girl; Your Friend; Yunagi City, Sakura Country; Summer Days with Coo; Climber's High; Feel the Wind; and Villon's Wife.
All films will be shown with English subtitles. Admission is free.
For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please access the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers (+632) 811-6155 to 58.
FREE ADMISSION
August 17, Wednesday
Summer Days with Coo (138 mins) 12:30 PM
One Million Yen Girl (121 mins) 3:00 PM
Yunagi City, Sakura Country (118 mins) 5:30 PM
Villon’s Wife (114 mins) 7:30 PM
August 18, Thursday
Your Friend (125 mins) 12:30 PM
Yunagi City, Sakura Country (118 mins) 3:00 PM
Feel the Wind (133 mins) 5:15 PM
Climber’s High (145 mins) 7:30 PM
August 19, Friday
Climber’s High (145 mins) 12:30 PM
The Chef of South Polar (125 mins) 3:00 PM
Villon’s Wife (114 mins) 5:30 PM
The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones (139 mins) 7:30 PM
August 20, Saturday
Summer Days with Coo (138 mins) 12:30 PM
Feel the Wind (133 mins) 3:00 PM
The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones (139 mins) 5:10 PM
The Chef of South Polar (125 mins) 7:30 PM
Summer Days with Coo
Aug 17, 12:30 p.m.; Aug 20, 12:30 p.m.
Coo is a kappa, a tiny amphibious creature with a dish-shaped skull. He lives in a swamp near Edo, the former name of Tokyo. There are rumors that the humans plan to drain the swamp for their own purposes, and Coo's father confronts a human samurai on the road one night to beg him to reconsider the plan. He brings the samurai a fish as a present, but the samurai is afraid of him and cuts him to pieces. Coo runs away, but just then an earthquake strikes and Coo falls into a crevice, where he is buried alive.
One Million Yen Girl
Aug 17, 3 p.m.
The film focuses on 21-year-old Suzuko who gets into trouble with her co-workers from her part-time job and ends up in jail. Coming out of the jail, living with her parents seems no longer an option. She takes on a various jobs: cleaning offices, delivering newspapers, and saves up a million yen to embark on a journey. She finds herself in a seaside resort and starts working as a part-time staff at a guest house. A local boy falls for her, but she has promised herself to leave for another town once she saves up a million yen.
Yunagi City, Sakura Country
Aug 17, 5:30 p.m.; Aug 18, 3 p.m.
The film is based on a manga comic by Fumiyo Kono, portraying the tragedy that the atomic bomb carries beyond generations and depicting the viewpoint of two women in two-frame stories, one from the past and the other from the present day.
Villon's Wife
Aug 17, 7:30p.m.; Aug 19, 5:30 p.m.
While raising a young son, Sachi (Matsu Takako), the wife of the popular writer Otani (Asano Tadanobu), struggles to contain the damage wrought by her profligate husband. To pay off his debts, she starts working at a pub where she wins the favor of Okada (Tsumabuki Satoshi), a young fan of Otani's, and her former crush lawyer Tsuji (Tsutsumi Shinichi). But Otani surges with jealousy at the sight of the newly confident and popular Sachi. Struggling with his writing as well, he attempts a love-suicide with his lover Akiko (Hirosue Ryoko).
Your Friend
Aug 18, 12:30p.m.
Writer Nakahara visits a school in a small city for his research on children with problems like school refusal. At the school, he meets Emi, a volunteering college student who has lame leg. Emi is called “Ms. Puffy” by the children because she always takes pictures of clouds. Interested in this girl, Nakahara asks her to be interviewed, but Emi refuses. Emi eventually changes her mind and shares her childhood stories with Nakahara.
Feel the Wind
Aug 18, 5:15p.m.; Aug 20, 3 p.m.
Kakeru (Hayashi Kento), a super talented runner in high school who quit the sports world to attend the up-and-coming Kansei University, finds himself being manipulated by the school's running captain, fourth year student Haiji (Koide Keisuke), to move into the dormitory for the members of the running team. He would have to deal with other tenants manga freak Prince (Nakamura Yuichi), Musa (Dante Carver) who is an African exchange student with no experience in track and field, and chain-smoker Nico-chan (Kawamura Yosuke) who failed a year of school.
Climber's High
Aug 18, 7:30 p.m.; Aug 19, 12:30 p.m.
The film is based on the Japanese bestselling novel by Hideo Yokoyama, which is inspired by actual events. The novel took 17 years to complete. It tells the story of a press reporter who finds the meaning of life through his experiences of news reporting and mountain climbing.
The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones
Aug 19, 7:30 p.m.; Aug 20, 5:10 p.m.
In 1907, a band of men challenged Japan's last unconquered mountain in order to complete a map of their nation. Mt. Tsurugidake, located in Tateyama mountain range in the Northern Alps in Toyama Prefecture, stands 2,999m above sea level, and is known to be difficult climb. It has been designated as the “God” for those engaged in mountain Asceticism-Shamanism and sometimes referred to as the “Needle Mountain” or the “Mountain of Death” for its inaccessibility.
The Chef of South Polar
Aug 19, 3 p.m.; Aug 20, 730 p.m.
Mr. Nishimura, a South Pole research team's chef, badly misses his family in Japan. With that, he always tries to make delicious meals. But, without being able to procure fresh supplies, maintaining variety in the daily menu is a Herculean task. The team is comprised of a Captain who is addicted much to ramen, the Doctor, Moto-san who he himself tries to train to participate in a triathlon event when he returns back to Japan, and the other young support members wherein Nishimura had to push himself to a great length to keep the table filled with delectable meals. Several unique characters have to live together for one-and-a-half years.
