Eiga Sai 2015

Every year at this time I am reminded how quickly time passes. This time last year I was having a really tough time and attending these film festivals was my therapy of sorts – somehow my worries then seem so naive when I think about it now. It is a curious feeling remembering your old self like they're separate from you. It sure is nostalgic.

But I digress, so – once again it is time for Eiga Sai.  I have attended this festival for 4 years now – and have amassed quite a lot of movies on my hard drive – which further validates how hooked I am on Japanese movies . :p My favorite genre are the ones with simple story-lines where nothing much really happens in the story – perfect example is Tamako in Moratorium. It's like watching snippets of someone's life – it is that gut wrenching slowness of life filled with emotion and drama mixed with good cinematography that has me coming back for more. ♪( ^-^)/

On with the lineup, hmn this year looks promising. .....

Wood Job is a coming of age film about Yuki Hirano who failed his college entrance exam and decides to enter the forestry service. Expect comedy and light drama. What I find engaging in stories like this is the celebration towards an unconventional career path (i.e. employee, lawyer, nurse, etc.) basically if you have a talent and heart for something and you do that work the best that you can (concept of Kodawari) then you are living a good life. Maybe because I also view my future in this way, they remind me to keep going and to walk my own path. (trailer)

Parasyte is a sci-film film about alien parasites infecting humans and invading their bodies and minds. One boy is able to fight it off and now the parasite lives on his right hand. Japanese mystery films (and even their drama series) are really good – they come up with bizarre plot lines and next thing you know you're in for an interesting ride. You never know how the story will twist and turn. So this is a definite must-watch. (trailer)

 

Princess Jellyfish tells the story of an otaku girl who is obsessed with Jellyfish. She came to Tokyo to become an illustrator and comes to live in a house with fellow weird-heads. The rule of the house is Women do not need Men. She then meets Kuranosuke, a cross-dressing son of a politician who takes a liking on her and her neighbors. (trailer)

I have this love-hate relationship with rom-coms, I'm fairly successful in resisting its pull but sometimes I give in and I am left with so many feelings I cannot contain. *cry* Looks like this is just what I need, light and simple – it's nice to go back to times when feelings are naive instead of you know – like reality. Haha

PATISSERIE Coin de Rue tells the story of Natsume who travels from Kagoshima to Tokyo to find her boyfriend only to find he has quit and did not leave an address. She then decides to work in the shop. Her encounters with the owners, coworkers and customers bring changes in their lives. (trailer)

Aoi Yu is my favorite Japanese actress. I download almost all her movies. I've had this one in my hard drive for a while now but haven't had the chance to actually watch it. Scratch that, it has mysteriously vanished from my folders. huhu (╥_╥)  Alright~ perfect excuse to come to the screening then.  |๑￣ლ￣๑|

The God of Ramen is a documentary both about Ramen and the life of a man behind it. (trailer)

Wa-shoku ~Beyond Sushi is another documentary about food. From the title you can surmise that it's about showing the world that Japanese food is more than just sushi. I personally love traditional Japanese food (although I've never tasted it) there is much artistry and dedication that goes into it. If you're done watching this maybe you can try to watch the Japanese drama, Osen.(trailer)

 

Tada's Do-It-All House: Disconcerto is a sequel film. The main story is about two guys who own a benriya or jack-of-all-trade service – from cleaning, detective work, etc. Our Nihongo sensei showed an episode of the drama series in our class and I quite enjoyed it. I'm sure one can enjoy watching the movie without the need to see the drama but I'm just really particular in the natural order of things *lol*

A Tale Of Samurai Cooking - A True Love Story is a period film about marriage and Japanese food. Basically a girl marries into a family of cooks who serve the "domain" (samurai clan maybe?) however the guy he marries is terrible at cooking. She helps him so and so – truth be told, I'm only interested to learn about traditional Japanese food. Uhm did I mention it's a movie about cooking and food?! Ψ(｀∀´)Ψ (¬‿¬)

 

Thermae Romae II is a film about Romans, bathhouses, and time travel – hilarity ensues. Oh this one is crazy. When Japanese films do comedy they don't just insert punchlines to be funny. They do it with serious confidence despite the absurdness of the plot. Watch the trailer and you'll know what I'm talking about. v(￣ｰ￣)v

It’s a Beautiful Life – IRODORI is based on a true story of 3 elderly women who found success in selling vegetable leaves for garnish. It's a human and family drama.

As always the screenings are free but on a first-come, first-serve basis. All films will have English subtitles. There are 5 venues and the festival will last for 2 months from July 9 until August 23. You can view the schedules here.

July 9 – 19: Shang Cineplex Cinema 2 (schedule)
July 14 – 19: FDCP Cinematheque, Davao (schedule)
July 24 – 26: Abreeza Mall Cinema, Davao (schedule)
August 12 – 15: UP Film Institute, UP Diliman (schedule)
August 19 – 23: Ayala Center Cinema 4, Cebu City (schedule)