Following the success of the same venture in 2021, the Budapest Office of the Japan Foundation is organising another Japanese Film Festival Online this month. From 14-27 February, cinema fans will be able to watch 20 Japanese features anywhere in Hungary, in the comfort of their own home. Films include a Venice prizewinner in 1951 and a contemporary work by a promising female director. All carry English and Hungarian subtitles.
Starting on Valentine’s Day, 14 February, 20 Japanese films will be available for free viewing several times over 48 hours. The Japanese Film Festival Online runs until 27 February through this link.
Features to look out for include Kurosawa’s classic, Rashômon, made in 1950 and the first Japanese film to gain global recognition when it won the main prize at Venice a year later. Atsuhiro Yamada’s award-winning contemporary Awake is a coming-of-age film about AI, based on a true story. Thought-provoking drama Aristocrats, about the lives of Japanese women today, has proved to be a festival favourite since its release in 2020.
Made by one of Japan’s most promising female directors, Nishikawa Miwa, Under the Open Sky made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival and has since garnered several international awards. It tells the story of an ex-yakuza criminal trying to find his way after 13 years in prison.
