two sneak previews at FCCJ

[Eija Niskanen]

Dear KineJapanners,

The film program at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan has two
upcoming sneak previews this month: super-producer Taka Ichise is in
town from Los Angeles to talk about his new (non-horror) production on
Jan. 16, and director Shuichi Okita will be on hand to discuss his
TIFF Grand Prix winner. If you'd like to see either of these films,
you must reserve through Karen Severns: kjs30 at gol.com

http://www.fccj.or.jp/node/7129
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012   7:00 pm

Sneak preview screening followed by a Q&A session with producer Taka
Ichise and director Keizo Izuta

JAPAN’S WILDLIFE: THE UNTOLD STORY (Nihon Retto: Ikimonotachi no Monogatari)
Japan 2012  95 minutes  In Japanese with English subtitles

Film courtesy of Toho

The mastermind behind Japan’s J-Horror films apparently has a
warm-and-fuzzy side: Taka Ichise, who scared us silly with the likes
of “The Ring” and “The Grudge,” has been working for two years with
NHK nature director Keizo Izuta and 30 seasoned videographers to
capture the hidden lives of creatures of the wild and the deep — and
these are guaranteed to charm, not terrify. “Japan’s Wildlife: The
Untold Story” is a beautifully lensed journey from Hokkaido to Okinawa
Prefecture, spanning 3,500 km and bridging subarctic and subtropical
habitats in its search for insight. Aided by special camera lenses
that allow them to get within one centimeter of their subjects, the
filmmakers are able to obtain incredible scenes of family intimacy,
and sometimes, tragedy.

http://www.fccj.or.jp/node/7146
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012   6:45 pm
Please note early start time

Sneak preview screening followed by a Q&A session with director
Shuichi Okita and actor Kanji Furutachi

THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN (Kitsutsuki to Ame)
Japan, 2011  128 minutes  In Japanese with English subtitles

Film courtesy of Kadokawa Pictures

When a film crew arrives in a tranquil village in the mountains to
shoot a movie, taciturn Katsu (Yakusho), a 60-year-old lumberjack,
finds himself unwittingly roped into assisting the production. While
frustrated by the crew’s demands, he is especially irritated by the
spineless 25-year-old Koichi (Oguri), who can’t seem to do anything
right and appears to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But an
unlikely friendship begins to develop between the two, and when Katsu
discovers that Koichi is actually the film’s first-time director, he
paves the way for an unusual collaboration between the villagers and
the film crew. Although his relationship with his own son, also named
Koichi (Kora), remains strained, Katsu’s relationship with the rookie
director helps restore the latter’s self-confidence, and reminds
Katsu, a recent widower, that life can actually be a lot of fun.

All movie screenings are private, noncommercial events restricted to
FCCJ members and their guests.


-- 
Eija Niskanen
080-3479-8475
Kichijoji Honcho 4-12-6
Musashino-shi
Tokyo 180-0004