Discover Movies

Following the 2011 nuclear disaster, the Oura family was forced to evacuate their home in Namie-cho, Fukushima Prefecture. Several years later, their eldest daughter Miran, who had moved to Tokyo, began filming her family because she wanted to scrutinize the concept of being considered “disaster survivors.” Amidst shifting familial relations—gradually revealed to the viewer—and the continual shock of the realities they confront, each family member is seen groping for their own “road home.”

In July 1988, Mizue Furui was in the Gaza Strip and West Bank with her camera as a rookie freelance journalist. Covering the Palestinian condition, she became acquainted with Ghada Ageel, a 23-year-old teacher at an elementary school, in November 1993 and started shooting her life up to when she turned 35. The 12 years Furui spent shooting still and video images has borne fruit in a documentary titled "Ghada -- Songs of Palestine," which will be released in Uplink Theater in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, in May as a rare report on women in the traditionally male-oriented Palestinian society.

Documentary shot with 17 cameras covering a gigantic free party featuring two bands and an idol unit. Produced by HMJM of the unorthodox hit The Sex Cannon Ball Run 2013, The Movie, with Iwabuchi Hiroki as director. November 18, 2015. Throngs of people gather at the concert hall LIQUIDROOM in Ebisu, Tokyo in response to an appeal from Asami Hokuto of the rock band Have a Nice Day! The concert picks up momentum and a mosh pit forms in the audience.

"Australia Diary" lives up to it's name! This video documents Momoko's stay in Australia for a period of 10 days. During this time, she works with her production crew on a number of short productions and promotional material, including "Those eyes are a little naughty!"

The world after WWII is largely defined as nuclear age. The nuclear energy has been sold as “peaceful” use of atoms, while in essence it is the same as nuclear weapons. The film visits the people and land damaged by pursuit of atomic power both as weapons as well as sources of energy around the world and questions the future of nuclear age.

The heart-rending story of a family profoundly impacted by not one but two nuclear tragedies: Hiroshima and Fukushima.

This movie (Executive Producer - KORE-EDA Hirokaz) looks at three beautiful islands, shaken by climate change: Tuvalu in the South Pacific, Venice in Italy, and Shishmaref in Alaska. The islands all have different climates and cultures, but the people all love their native lands. The film, which took three years to shoot, focuses on their daily lives. It portrays festivals that foster ties among the people, traditional crafts which have been passed on for generations, and peaceful lives by the water. They are all disappearing by climate change. When these people lose their homelands, their cultures and histories face death. Their lives in the midst of all the changes suggest where our future leads.

A film essay about nuclear energy in Japan, composed of newspaper clippings collected in scrapbooks

A documentary film that explores the effects of air pollutants contained in smog on the body and raises the issue of air pollution. Selected for the Japan Industrial Film Competition Industrial Film Award and the Science and Technology Film Festival.

Katsura Funakoshi: Whispering Gaze observes the visionary sculptor Katsura Funakoshi as he quietly breathes life into camphor wood. Take a look as he works in his atelier, preps for exhibitions, and speaks at lectures. The simple, warm and gentle figures carved out by Funakoshi can be attributed to the harmony of precise calculations and accidental occurrences. His human-like sculptures draw in beholders with their distant marble gaze as if pondering philosophical thoughts and projecting subtle yet bold emotions.

Steinway Artist Jason Moran and Japanese pianist Dairo Suga – both of whom are some of world’s most forward-thinking and innovative pianists - perform at the Steinway factory as part of a special series launched in Tokyo in 2006. This performance took place on December 17, 2016.

Letter from Tokyo is a documentary film that looks at art, culture and politics in Tokyo, Japan. Shot over three months during the summer of 2018, and with a particular focus on grass roots arts initiatives, the use of public space, and queer politics, the film provides a snapshot of Japan’s capital in the run up to the 2020 olympics.

The filmmaker looks into problems of personal communication by focusing on the letters of a woman who has done enjokosai, that is, a young woman who agrees to talk with or meet or go to a hotel with (usually older) men for money. The director himself met Ryoko, the film's subject, via her telephone messaging system. Discarding the flood of sensational images found in the mass media, this film illustrates the thoughts of Ryoko and others from the perspective of those actually involved.

The red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body have a lifespan of 120 days. The living body continuously produces blood to ensure a plentiful supply of red blood cells. This film accurately records the conversion of stem cells into red blood cells. Conditions such as encounters with various other cells and contact with signals sent by other cells are important for the growth of blood cells, and the erythropoietin is one of these important signals. This signal stimulates the stromal cells to produce the necessary number of red blood cells which are continuously sent into the bloodstream. Scientific supervisor Fumimaro TAKAKU, M.D. Ph.D. (University of Tokyo)

Japanese shockumentary from the MAD catalogue focusing on catastrophes

How do you cover a war in your own country? We spent two years with journalists from Ukraine's public broadcaster and saw how Russia's invasion transformed their profession and changed their beliefs. Broadcast on 5/4/2024

Entering the political fray of environmentalism versus tradition raging a round the issue of dolphin hunting in Taiji, Japan since the 2009 release of The Cove, Megumi Sasaki’s documentary is the finely balanced film essay the frayed topic has been waiting for. Instead of propping up images of animal slaughter or beleaguered fishermen, A Whale of a Tale focuses on points of contact and communication between the two sides, foreign activists devoting years to the cause and agricultural workers who have developed a first-name familiarity. Sasaki (Herb & Dorothy) collaborates with journalist Jay Alabaster to examine the historical and material conditions that contributed to local whaling practice and the pressures of globalism and localism that keeps this issue in ideological deadlock—at least for now. -JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film

The citizens of Sunagawa oppose the expansion of Tachikawa Air Base

The two volumes of illustrations left behind by Iseya Kichizaemon, a former Hayayusho who opened his shop on Hongo Street, known as Nikko Onarido during the Ansei period, depicted the lives of the common people of Edo at the time. This work carefully traces the illustrations and looks at the joys of the lives of the common people of Edo.

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami destroyed large parts of the small town of Rikuzentakata. Here, Hiromi ABE hosts a radio show in which she reports on local events and interviews the residents. She focuses not only on the time after the disaster and the ongoing rebuilding of the community, but also on recording personal stories.

Documentary on author, dissident and right-wing terrorist Misawa Chiren.

Dear Tomorrow is a multi-character story about loneliness. Set in Japan, the film centers around the mental health hotline called “A Place for You”, where a group of young volunteers are chatting with thousands in need, every single day.

In the mid-1920's, during the so-called "Taisho Democracy," people in Japan were embracing political liberalism and Western ideas, and enjoying unprecedented freedom. But just 10 years later, nationalism and militarism were on the rise and the country was rushing toward war - urged on by a nationalist newspaper called The Nihon Shimbun. Why did this one media outlet have such a profound influence on political life in Japan?

A depiction of everyday life at the House of Sharing, and document of the testimonies of women who were taken as "comfort women" by the Japanese Army during the war. The second part is about Kang Deok-yeong, who depicted her experiences during the war through painting.

A documentary film by a Japanese crew who traveled to Siam in 1938 to capture footage of the elephant round-up festival in Lopburi Province, as well as scenes of everyday life and cityscapes in Bangkok. The film also includes behind-the-scenes footage from the Sri Krung Sound Film Studio, featuring Manee Sumonnat, one of the first leading actresses of Thai cinema, whose work has otherwise been entirely lost.

This 1973 work by photographer Daido Moriyama features footage captured with a portable 8mm film camera mounted on a motorcycle, documenting the nocturnal streetscapes of Shinjuku. The resulting imagery—blurred, shaky, out of focus, high-contrast, and lacking deliberate composition—unfolds as a stream of flickering lights that emerge and vanish amidst the flow of the city at night. Accompanied by the drone of the motorcycle engine and the honking of taxis, the piece lays bare the tedium, darkness, and disorder of the urban environment, while also evoking a deeply nostalgic sentiment for life in Shinjuku.

An experimental documentary that uses fragments of memories to create a treatise on the nature of consciousness and the nature of digital desires.

A documentary commemorating the 100th anniversary of the assimilation of Hokkaido

Documentary on Yoshiyuki Yamashiki, biwa player, 91 years old

Eerie images of landscapes after the Fukushima nuclear disaster shot on black and white 8mm.

A short documentary film in the style of a private film that depicts the cat of Hiromiya Kamata, who is familiar with the "Nami Diary" that is being serialized at Epsteins. The direction was directed by Taro Otomo, who won awards at the Pia Film Festival and the Image Forum Festival, and recently worked as an assistant director at the latest film "Kaibatsu Hotel Blue" directed by Koji Wakamatsu and "A Thousand Years of Joy" scheduled to be released in the fall of 2012, and it is also a new work that he has been waiting for. Tetsuro Hirano, a steel photographer known as Kuro Kuda, who is also in charge of shooting in "Nami Nikki", has been shooting a movie for a long time.

Japanese two female singer-songwriters, Kazumi Nikaido (also known as Nika Soup) and Saya Source (of Tenniscoats, Maher Shalal Hash Baz). Nika is known for her chameleon-like ability to transform her voice, while Saya has a melancholic and straightforward singing style. Both have distinct voices that can be identified immediately, but when they sing in unison, they create melodies that are truly sublime. They have released charming album IPIYA (2005) features playful pop songs reminiscent of nursery rhymes, repetitive mantra-like tracks. The two went back and forth from their homes in Hiroshima and Tokyo to create beautifully diverse songs for this record. This is the documentary of "how" and "why" and also "where" they had made the very original music. Many interviews, rehearsals, free sessions, live performances are included. There is a childlike innocence to this documentary, and offers a peak into the unique world of how they make music.

Inspired by the tranquility of public television programs in Japan (NHK TV) and accompanied by the meditative music of Brian Eno, The God-Building Theory is an educational video about the aesthetics of Russian Cosmism: a philosophy of technological immortality and resurrection that emerged in Russia at the end of the 19th century, which is the main subject of Anton Vidokle’s films.

The Naked Summer is a film that documents young artists' effort and growth while training and preparing for a performance of Butou that is praised internationally as a unique art form. Butou was born about 40 years ago as a form of modern dance that pursues the untraditional movement of the body and defies the convention of the human body. As a result, it is known for the dancer's strange facial expressions, naked body covered in white powder, and strong visuals. The film contains the summer training process of the dance group Dairakudakan led by a veteran artist of Butou, Akaji Maro

Documentary about Ginza district in Tokyo.

LOVEBITES, one of Japan's leading heavy metal bands, brings live footage. It contains the complete performance from "WE ARE THE RESURRECTION" held on March 11, 2023. In addition, it contains behind the scenes and the opening video narrated by Mikey Goodman of SikTh. Includes commentary by the members as sub-voice channel.

Cameraman Yonesaku Kobayashi (1905-2005) is a pioneer of scientific films of Japan. He and producer Sozo Okada made many scientific educational films, and in 60's - 70's, many avant-garde composers composed music for these films.

TV documentary about the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and its safety concerns in 1976.

With all eight members in place, follow the boy band as they set out on their first arena tour and prepare for their biggest stage yet: a stadium concert.

I returned to 8mm home movies for this compilation film, shot during the final year of my grandmother's life, and, beginning with footage of her garden. It is a documentary about gradually vanishing equipment collapsing and deteriorating, and also a document of those processes themselves. With the camera picking up details so minute that you can practically smell the pungent odors on the other side of the lens. I continued filming while actually having no idea when the device might reach the end of its life.

The composer, famous for bridging Japanese traditional music with the European avant-garde, shows off his culinary skills while discussing his artistic practice. Kyoko Michishita: “The internationally acclaimed composer demonstrates how he makes soba dipping sauce, which he takes as seriously as he does music. That speed, that dynamic! It was delicious.”

2 former high school friends drive from Canada to Mexico as they visit atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki that live in the States. During the trip, they record the piece of a modern history crucially important in Japanese collective psyche while exploring their own identities and revealing the reality of psychological scars.

A university PR film produced on the occasion of film critic Shigehiko Hasumi’s appointment as president of the University of Tokyo. Natsume Sōseki’s Sanshirō, from which the Sanshirō Pond on the Hongo campus takes its name, intricately intersects with the contemporary university space. Scattered throughout are diverse cinematic techniques and motifs, while the enigmatic smile of a woman with a parasol lures viewers into a strange and uncanny world.

In the man-made waterways of rice paddies, the water in nature must follow artificial rules. In that way, nature is made abstract, giving rise to a new form of beauty distinct from the natural state. The theme of this work is the liveliness of water as it follows the man-made course.

This documentary records the lives of people in a mountain village surrounding the kozo (paper mulberry) tree, a raw material used to make Tosa washi paper.

The story of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami as told through news footage and eyewitness video footage.

On March 30, 1997, the Miike Coal Mine, the largest mine in Japan, ceased operations. The burden of its history, however, is still being borne by many: a chronicle of prisoners used in the mine, forced labor, strikes, and coal dust explosions. This documentary is the first to directly confront the legacy of the Miike Mine, reviving through eyewitness testimonies a history of struggle lasting 150 years that modern Japan is trying to forget. It took seven years to complete, interviewing over 70 individuals, from the men and women who signed up to do this backbreaking work and lived in pride by the mountain, to the Koreans who were forcibly brought to Japan and made to work down the shaft. The director Hiroko Kumagai hopes that we look at Miike not just to explore the past, but also to think about the future: what it means to work and to live courageously.

First film in the Death Press series

The film was born from discovering a Super 8 film shot by her deceased father during her childhood, and unfurls through a personal archive of images and reminiscences that patch together the life of this complex and reserved individual. In its quest to deconstruct the mundane, private appeal of family memories, Doi calls the film an “anti-home movie,” yet in keeping with the diaristic quality of her previous works, My father, burned paints its portrait of memory akin to a window onto a chamber or interior space, through which ambiguous emotions resonate and resound.

A film documenting life in Okinawa under the domination of American military bases

Hyodo lives near Tokyo in a vibrant house filled with hundreds of sex dolls. An unconventional character living amidst the normalcy and conformity of Japan, his life blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Hyodo’s hedonistic, imaginative world is explored unflinchingly in an affectionate portrait of a deeply complex man.