Shunji Iwai

Love Letter

Hiroko attends the memorial service of her fiancé, Itsuki Fujii, who died in a mountain-climbing incident. Although Itsuki's mother says that their old house is gone, Hiroko records the address listed under his name in his yearbook and sends him a letter. Surprisingly, she receives a reply, and discovers it came from his old classmate, a girl who also happens to be called Itsuki Fujii.

All About Lily Chou-Chou

Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract music of pop star Lily Chou-Chou.

New York, I Love You

New York, I Love You delves into the intimate lives of New Yorkers as they grapple with, delight in and search for love. Journey from the Diamond District in the heart of Manhattan, through Chinatown and the Upper East Side, towards the Village, into Tribeca, and Brooklyn as lovers of all ages try to find romance in the Big Apple.

Fireworks

Moshimo, Japan. The annual fireworks festival is about to take place and a group of schoolboys, arguing over whether they are round or flat when viewed from different angles, set out to find it out.

Rainbow Song

Tomoya Kishida is working as a staffer in a television studio when he hears about the death of his close friend, Aoi Sato. This sparks his recollection of the events in life they shared from meeting at a record store, shooting a short film as part of their university film club, to saying their last goodbyes. Though in love with each other, neither had the courage to confess their feelings before it was too late.

Jam Films

Jam Films is a 2002 suite of 7 shorts produced by Sega/Amuse.

Swallowtail Butterfly

The struggles of a group of outcasts living in "Yentown", in an alternate-future Japan.

Ritual

A disillusioned filmmaker has an encounter with a young woman who has a ritual of repeating "Tomorrow is my birthday" everyday. He tries to communicate with her through his video camera.

Love Letter

Hiroko attends the memorial service of her fiancé, Itsuki Fujii, who died in a mountain-climbing incident. Although Itsuki's mother says that their old house is gone, Hiroko records the address listed under his name in his yearbook and sends him a letter. Surprisingly, she receives a reply, and discovers it came from his old classmate, a girl who also happens to be called Itsuki Fujii.

All About Lily Chou-Chou

Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract music of pop star Lily Chou-Chou.

New York, I Love You

New York, I Love You delves into the intimate lives of New Yorkers as they grapple with, delight in and search for love. Journey from the Diamond District in the heart of Manhattan, through Chinatown and the Upper East Side, towards the Village, into Tribeca, and Brooklyn as lovers of all ages try to find romance in the Big Apple.

Fireworks

Moshimo, Japan. The annual fireworks festival is about to take place and a group of schoolboys, arguing over whether they are round or flat when viewed from different angles, set out to find it out.

Rainbow Song

Tomoya Kishida is working as a staffer in a television studio when he hears about the death of his close friend, Aoi Sato. This sparks his recollection of the events in life they shared from meeting at a record store, shooting a short film as part of their university film club, to saying their last goodbyes. Though in love with each other, neither had the courage to confess their feelings before it was too late.

Jam Films

Jam Films is a 2002 suite of 7 shorts produced by Sega/Amuse.

Swallowtail Butterfly

The struggles of a group of outcasts living in "Yentown", in an alternate-future Japan.

Ritual

A disillusioned filmmaker has an encounter with a young woman who has a ritual of repeating "Tomorrow is my birthday" everyday. He tries to communicate with her through his video camera.

GAMERA 1999

Hideaki Anno's documentary about the making of Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris. From concept to film, the documentary is a video diary of the film's production.

All About "All About Lily Chou-Chou"

The making of 'All About Lily Chou-Chou' starting from its conception as an interactive story that played out on a BBS

Hana & Alice

Two teenage best pals attracted to the same boy end up scrambling his life after he walks into a door and is knocked unconscious.

Ribbon

The year is 2020, the middle of the corona crisis. Art student Itsuka has her graduation exhibition canceled and must take home the piece which she had been working on for a year. In a whirlpool of emotions she clashes with her worried parents, her little sister overreacts to the virus and even her usually calm friend Hirai starts to build up frustration. In the middle of all that, she re-unites with Tanaka, who gave her the opportunity to absorb herself in painting, clashes with Hirai over their true feelings and tries to face her own future.

April Story

In spring, a girl leaves the island of Hokkaido to attend university in Tokyo. Once there, she is asked to reveal why she wanted to go there in the first place.

Miracle

Short directed by Shunji Iwai for the song Miracle by illion, Youjirou Noda's solo project, in the album "P.Y.L."

The Case of Hana & Alice

After transferring to Ishinomori Middle School, Tetsuko "Alice" Arisugawa overhears her classmates discussing a strange rumor. The previous occupant of her seat, a nondescript "Judas," is missing and presumed murdered. Amidst dealing with her mother's undesired meddling in her affairs and warding off her classmates' bullying, the troubled Alice starts to investigate the mystery surrounding Judas' disappearance. The trail of clues leads her to the house of her next-door neighbor, the quirky and reclusive Hana Arai.

Arita

ARITA is a short film told in pictures and in small moments. It is about a girl whose first friend is a small drawing named Arita, a cute nosed endearment she found everywhere. From her notebooks to her illustrations and school supplies, Arita appeared silently and still. Growing up with such a friend would raise questions and as she became older, she attempted to answer them. Iwai, one of Japan’s most exciting directors, tells a beautiful and dream-like story through the precious eyes of Ryoko Hirosue. The heavenly tint of the picture and the serene piano playing makes ARITA easily an audience favorite.

Vampire

An outwardly normal schoolteacher preys on suicidal women to slake his overwhelming thirst for human blood.

Picnic

Believing that the world will end that very day, three mental patients Coco, Tsumuji, and Satoru set out upon a journey. Walking upon the tops of the walls of the city, they seek to find a picnic spot with the best vantage point to view the final event.

Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?

One summer day, a group of sixth-grade boys have an argument about whether fireworks are round or flat when viewed from different angles and embark on a journey for the answer during the annual firework festival. Meanwhile, one of their classmates, Nazuna, is troubled by her parents' separation and decides to choose one of the boys to run away with.

Undo

Moemi is not overly pleased when Yukio brings home a couple of turtles to keep her company. Although Yukio works at home as a writer, Moemi feels neglected and desired a dog or a cat, but neither is allowed in their apartment.

Last Letter

It is only at their sister's and mother's funeral when a woman meets her niece after many years. The niece is now a grown girl. The sister takes on the task of informing the deceased's friends of the death while the daughter cannot bring herself to symbolically accept the demise of her mother. In the midst of all this an old flame messages the sister to say he is still in love with her, but is he messaging the living sister or the dead one?

Kyrie

Luca lost her family in the Great East Japan Earthquake causing her not to be able to speak. However, her singing voice shakes the hearts of those who listen to her. It is a hymn of compassion played by Luca and the people.

A Bride for Rip Van Winkle

A woman hires actors and strangers to pretend to be her friends and family at her wedding.

Last Letter

All Yuan Zhinan has left behind when she passed away is a letter and an invitation to a school reunion. Attending the reunion in lieu of her late elder sister, Zhihua accidentally runs into Yin Chuan, on whom she had a crush in her youth. As old memories are evoked, and correspondences travel through different contexts and times, Zhihua slowly uncovers the intricate story of the trio.

Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Tokubetsuhen

Luca on the Road

A young girl named Ruka, who had been living a wandering life in Osaka, is taken in by Fumi, an elementary school teacher. Later, Ruka spends time in Obihiro, Hokkaido, with Natsuhiko, who was her sister's lover, and forms a friendship with a high school girl named Maori. However, the fate that awaits her is always harsh. After arriving in Tokyo, Ruka becomes a musician and begins singing on the streets under the name Kyrie. There, she reunites with Maori, who now goes by the name Ikko and survives in Tokyo through her ever-changing cosplay and relationships with men. From Ishinomaki, Osaka, and Obihiro to Tokyo—Ruka, while being tossed about by fate, weaves a grand lyrical poem through her determined life.

Mysterious Transfer Student

Iwata Koichi and Kagawa Midori are second-year students at Tozaiyama High School. One day, while coming home from school, they discover a shooting star rising up in the sky. The next day, Midori sees a shining figure in school and everyone on the school grounds starts talking about a ghost. At that point, a mysterious transfer student called Yamazawa Norio suddenly arrives at the school.

A Bride for Rip Van Winkle: Serial Edition

A woman hires actors and strangers to pretend to be her friends and family at her wedding.

Lemon-Colored Dream

Baton

On Planet Abel, humans and robots co-exist. One day a mysterious stowaway on a transport vessel tries to invade the planet, but is discovered by Apollo, a robot that looks like a human; and Mikaru, a human that looks like a robot. The stowaway had in his possession a memory chip containing the latest in camouflage software, the mysterious "Cipher" OS. Apollo takes the Cipher chip simply for fun, but has no idea what he's getting himself into. He suddenly starts acting strange, but Mikaru has no idea what's wrong or that Cipher is behind it. What exactly is Cipher? What sort of secrets does it hold? Apollo and Mikaru will unravel a mystery encompassing the past, present, and future to find out.

Hana & Alice

Web/video series by Shunji Iwai. Commissioned by Nestle for breaktown.com. Later adapted into feature film.

Chang-ok's Letter

Housewife Eun-ha is busy every day: In addition to taking care of her husband who doesn't help out at all and her willful daughter and son, she has to care for her nagging mother-in-law, who is nearly bedridden.

Even If I Could Find You In My Dreams

Webseries directed by Shunji Iwai.

The 12 Day Tale of the Monster that Died in 8

Webseries directed by Shunji Iwai. Later adapted into feature film.