Summer Explorers! 2018

His Master’s Voice  2:00pm & 6:40pm  Dir. Hiroyuki Itaya, 2014 | 95 min
In order to cheer up their little son, Sadakichi (Mayuta Fukuzaki) and his wife ask their gloomy looking neighbour, Taihei (Taihei Hayashiya), a former Rakugo storyteller, to give a performance for him. Sadakichi is deeply moved by his performance and hopes to become Taihei’s apprentice.

Giovanni’s Island  4:15pm  Dir. Mizuho Nishikubo, 2014 | 104 min
In the aftermath of World War Two, the tiny island of Shikotan became part of the Sakhalin Oblast. On this unhealed border, friendship among children from two different countries timidly blossomed, striving to overcome language barriers and the waves of history. Inspired by true events.

Chieri and Cherry  2:30pm  Dir. Makoto Nakamura, 2015 | 54 min
The only friend Chieri has is a stuffed animal Cherry; it talks to her, helping her go through life in place of her late father. When she visits her grandmother’s house, they find a stray dog giving birth to puppies, but a mean crow and strange monster come to steal them. Can Chieri and Cherry keep them safe?

Cat Samurai  3:50pm  Dirs. Takeshi Watanabe and Yoshitaka Yamaguchi, 2014 | 100 min
Masterless samurai Kyutaru Madarame (Kazuki Kitamura) is hired by a dog-loving gang to get rid of a rival gang’s cat. The only problem – when Madarame comes face to face with the cat in question, he can’t go through with it… and is now the target of both gangs!

Oshin  5:50pm  Dir. Shin Togashi, 2013 | 109 min
In 1907, 7-year-old Oshin is traded for 60kg of rice and sent to work in a lumber shop. Suspected of theft by the owners, she runs away into the mountains during a blizzard. Found by the kind Shunsaku, Oshin learns how to read and write, and the importance of independent thinking. A remake of the biggest hit drama in Japanese TV history.