28th Cinema Nippon
2017/7/25
The Consulate General of Japan in Kolkata and Nihongo Kaiwa Kyookai Society (NKKS) organized a Japanese film festival in collaboration with Nandan, West Bengal Film Centre, I & CA Department, Government of West Bengal.
6 Japanese movies with English subtitles were screened on 21st, 22nd and 23rd July 2017 at Nandan II in Kolkata.
6 Japanese movies with English subtitles were screened on 21st, 22nd and 23rd July 2017 at Nandan II in Kolkata.
This event is listed in the agenda of ‘2017 The Year of Japan-India Friendly Exchanges’
Inauguration Ceremony
The film festival was inaugurated on 21 July 2017 at 4:00 PM by Mr. Masayuki Taga, Consul General of Japan in Kolkata, in the presence of Mr. Yadab Mondal, Commissioner and CEO, Nandan, West Bengal Film Centre and Mr. Jayanta Kumar Saha, President, NKKS.
Film Director, Mr. Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay, graced the occasion as CHIEF GUEST.
Mr. Saha welcomed the distinguished guests and audience and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Nandan authorities for providing the venue for the festival.
Mr. Mondal stated that language is not a barrier to enjoy the true essence of a movie and expressed his hope that Kolkata International Film Festival will have more and more Japanese films in the years to come.
The Chief Guest, Mr. Mukhopadhyay, expressed pleasure in being invited on the occassion and fondly recollected his memory of watching the Japanese movie 'Rashomon' at the same venue in the past. He also informed the audience of the friendship between Akira Kurosawa and Satyajit Ray, and the mutual admiration they had for each other.
Consul General Taga briefed the audience about Cinema Nippon and expressed hope that it will be enjoyed by one and all. He sincerely thanked Nandan, NKKS and the Chief Guest for their support and cooperation in organizing the film festival.
Film Director, Mr. Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay, graced the occasion as CHIEF GUEST.
Mr. Saha welcomed the distinguished guests and audience and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Nandan authorities for providing the venue for the festival.
Mr. Mondal stated that language is not a barrier to enjoy the true essence of a movie and expressed his hope that Kolkata International Film Festival will have more and more Japanese films in the years to come.
The Chief Guest, Mr. Mukhopadhyay, expressed pleasure in being invited on the occassion and fondly recollected his memory of watching the Japanese movie 'Rashomon' at the same venue in the past. He also informed the audience of the friendship between Akira Kurosawa and Satyajit Ray, and the mutual admiration they had for each other.
Consul General Taga briefed the audience about Cinema Nippon and expressed hope that it will be enjoyed by one and all. He sincerely thanked Nandan, NKKS and the Chief Guest for their support and cooperation in organizing the film festival.
Movie Synopsis and Screening Schedule
21 July 2017 | Friday | 4:00 PM (Post Inauguration)
A Tale of Samurai Cooking
-A True Love Story
Runtime: 121 min
Release Date: December 14, 2013
Director: Yuzo Asahara
Cast: Aya Ueto as Haru Funaki
Kengo Kora as Yasunobu Funaki
Plot: Great cook Haru has married into the legendary “Kitchen Samurai” family, but her husband who is the successor of the family can’t cook at all. Haru makes a vow to make him a superb samurai chef, and starts teaching her new husband how to cook.
-A True Love Story
Runtime: 121 min
Release Date: December 14, 2013
Director: Yuzo Asahara
Cast: Aya Ueto as Haru Funaki
Kengo Kora as Yasunobu Funaki
Plot: Great cook Haru has married into the legendary “Kitchen Samurai” family, but her husband who is the successor of the family can’t cook at all. Haru makes a vow to make him a superb samurai chef, and starts teaching her new husband how to cook.
21 July 2017 | Friday | 6:45 PM
Waterboys
Runtime: 91 min
Release Date: September 15, 2001
Director: Shinobu Yaguchi
Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki as Suzuki
Hiroshi Tamaki as Sato
Akifumi Miura as Ohta
Runtime: 91 min
Release Date: September 15, 2001
Director: Shinobu Yaguchi
Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki as Suzuki
Hiroshi Tamaki as Sato
Akifumi Miura as Ohta
Plot: Hilarious film about a synchronized swimming team in a boys’ school. The team consists of un-popular boys, mocked by everyone, until they decide to go ahead and put up a performance on their own.
22 July 2017 | Saturday | 4:00 PM
Rashomon
Runtime: 90 min
Release Date: August 25, 1950
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune as Tajomaru
Machiko Kyo as Masako Kanazawa
Masayuki Mori as Takehiro Kanazawa
Plot: In 12th century Japan, a woman is raped and his samurai husband is killed by a notorious bandit, Tajomaru. This episode is testified in court by four witnesses, each from their own point of view. But whose version can be believed?
Runtime: 90 min
Release Date: August 25, 1950
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune as Tajomaru
Machiko Kyo as Masako Kanazawa
Masayuki Mori as Takehiro Kanazawa
Plot: In 12th century Japan, a woman is raped and his samurai husband is killed by a notorious bandit, Tajomaru. This episode is testified in court by four witnesses, each from their own point of view. But whose version can be believed?
22 July 2017 | Saturday | 5:45 PM
Children on the Island 
Runtime: 129 min
Release Date: July 11, 1987
Director: Yoshitaka Asama
Cast: Yuko Tanaka as Hisako Oishi
Misako Konno as Masuno
Taro Kawano as Isokichi
Naoko Nozawa as Sanae
Runtime: 129 min
Release Date: July 11, 1987
Director: Yoshitaka Asama
Cast: Yuko Tanaka as Hisako Oishi
Misako Konno as Masuno
Taro Kawano as Isokichi
Naoko Nozawa as Sanae
Plot: Set between the late 1920s and the early 1950s, it portrays the story of a teacher who comes to a village on the Inland Sea and the relationship that develops between her and her 12 pupils, which is disrupted by the escalation of the war.
23 July 2017 | Sunday | 4:00 PM
Thermae Romae 
Runtime: 108 min
Release Date: April 28, 2012
Director: Hideki Takeuchi
Cast: Hiroshi Abe as Lucius
Aya Ueto as Mami Yamakoshi
Masachika Ichimura as Hadrian
Hidetaka Yoshioka as Mitsuo Suwa
Plot: A comical movie where a Roman bath architect from 130 BC time-travels to modern Japan. He goes back and forth between ancient Rome and modern Japan, learning a lot about the bath culture of today’s Japan, and brings it back to ancient Rome.
23 July 2017 | Sunday | 6:00 PM
Nobody to Watch Over Me 
Runtime: 118 min
Release Date: January 24, 2009
Director: Ryoichi Kimizuka
Cast: Koichi Sato as Takumi Katsuura
Mirai Shida as Saori Funamura
Ryuhei Matsuda as Shogo Mishima
Plot: A 15 year old school girl is put under police protection from public outrage and media frenzy after her brother is arrested on suspicions of murder. The vulnerability, isolation and even the resilience of the girl is portrayed when up against a volatile and often intolerant world.