The latest ACA Cinema Project Series "Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux" examines the shifting dynamics and struggles of the Japanese household in contemporary cinema. Showcasing 10 features, including premieres and revivals, Family Portrait confronts the complexities of familial bonds in the face of adversity—from intergenerational gaps to changing mores and traditions—bringing to question what truly defines a family and its values in a modern world. Series highlights include the U.S. Premiere of Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s Yoko, starring international star Rinko Kikuchi in a bravura performance as a woman hitchhiking over 400 miles to her father’s funeral; the U.S. Premiere of Keiko Tsuruoka’s Tsugaru Lacquer Girl, the heart-tugging story of a family lacquerware business on the brink of collapse run by Kaoru Kobayashi of Midnight Diner fame and the daughter who strives to carry on its legacy despite deeply held traditional gender beliefs; and a Classics slate featuring a rare 35mm presentation of Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Twilight. A special spotlight will be given to director Ryota Nakano, who has spent his career keenly capturing the complex feelings of families when faced with adversity. His latest film, The Asadas, centers on the power of family in the aftermath of the Fukushima tragedy and will be presented along with his two previous works, A Long Goodbye and Her Love Boils Bathwater. Nakano will appear in-person at Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux to speak during select screenings and take part in a reception.
EVENT OUTLINE
Title: FAMILY PORTRAIT: JAPANESE FAMILY IN FLUX
Presented by Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan and Japan Society
Date: February 15 - February 24 , 2024
Venue: Japan Society and IFC Center in NYC
Japan Society Website: https://japansociety.org/film/family-portrait-japanese-family-in-flux/
Ticket Purchase: https://qr.paps.jp/yiMpP
Contact: aca_cinema_project@vipo.or.jp (Visual Industry Promotion Organization)
The ACA Cinema Project is a new initiative organized as part of the "Japan Film Overseas Expansion Enhancement Project," an ongoing project founded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan (ACA) to create opportunities for the increased exposure, development and appreciation of Japanese cinema overseas through screenings, symposiums and other ongoing events. This year’s ACA Cinema Project introduces a wide range of Japanese films in the United States, a major center of international film culture, together with the local partners, such as the Linwood Dunn Theater and the Japan Society.
PAST EVENTS
1st edition: 21st CENTURY JAPAN: Films from 2001 2020
2nd edition: Flash Forward: Debut Works and Recent Films by Notable Japanese Directors
3rd edition: New Films from Japan
4th edition: Emerging Japanese Films
5th edition: THE FEMALE GAZE: WOMEN FILMMAKERS FROM JAPAN CUTS AND BEYOND