High School Girl's Diary

The Man Who Went Beyond Manga: Fujio Akatsuka

The late Fujio Akatsuka is revered by many Japanese artists and scholars for his developments to early comedy manga, but his contributions aren't just limited to the world of print media. Featuring commentary from family, friends, colleagues, and celebrity fans, Fujio Akatsuka's story is told with archival footage and animation, showcasing the life of the man who went beyond manga.

Heaven Station

From a true incident that happened in 1960's Japan. This drama is contemporary in setting but medieval in its characters and emotions as it focuses on a tangled web of murder and deceit encountered by a beautiful woman, Kayo after her abusive husband is murdered.

Tokyo Noise

Tokyo at the beginning of the 21st century, its inhabitants and artists. An observation and diagnosis of the modern Japanese metropolis: the singularity of unusual creative individuals is merely a response to the majority Japanese society. Even this can appear as an eccentric work of art. So where do the borders lie? A psychologist talks about the autistic way of life burgeoning in the dense population of the country. A noise musician speaks of her inspiration from sado-masochistic bondage as an art form. A programmer specializing in computer games assures us: I can distinguish our world and “the other side”! Why are the robots in Japanese comic books almost always affable and positive characters? Will “love hotels”, the unique designer havens for sexual experiences, become extinct in the future? Photographer Nobuyoshi Araki sees noise as one of the fundamental aspects of Tokyo life.

Misuzu

Tells the life story of Teru Kaneko, who was born and raised in a small coastal town. While working as a clerk in a book shop, Teru starts writing her own verses to get away from the worries of a disgraceful marriage. Under the pseudonym Misuzu, her works arrive to an important editor in Tokyo.

Chicken Heart

Former boxer Iwano, teamed up with Sada and Maru, who live in the same apartment building, makes his daily living as a punching bag for drunken businessmen in some corner of the amusement quarters. The three have continuously avoided putting themselves in a situation that could tie them down, especially Iwano, who is totally clueless about what he wants to do with his life. One day, they receive notice that their apartment building will be torn down. As a compensation for the eviction, their remaining rent is considered as settled. Having lost their place to live, the three each try to find their way.

Tokyo Fair Weather

This is a biographical film about the late Yoko Araki, who was the wife of Japan's leading photographer, Nobuyoshi Araki.

Daidō Moriyama: Stray Dog of Tokyo

A documentary that follows the life of photographer Daido Moriyama in the present, which has never been revealed before. Even though his charismatic presence has reigned over the world of photography since the late 60’s, his true persona had been hidden behind a veil of mystery, since he had refused any major appearances in front of any media in the past. Follow the charismatic photographer Daido Moriyama as he takes his first digital photos and observe his style of quick snapshots without looking in the finder. His stark and contrasting black and white images symbolize his fervent lifestyle.

Zigeunerweisen

A surreal period film following a university professor and his eerie nomad friend as they go through loose romantic triangles and face death in peculiar ways.

Yumeji

Following the life of Japanese artist and poet Yumeji Takehisa through the imagining of an encounter with a beautiful widow with a dark past.

Arakimentari

A look at the life and work of Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and his impact on Japanese culture.

Kulturplatz

A New Love in Tokyo

A look at the lives of two prostitutes in Tokyo: Rei, who works as an S&M dominatrix, and Ayumi, in the more straightforward profession of call girl. In addition to their working life, the film also looks at their private lives. Rei is acting in an amateur theatre company along with the receptionist from Ayumi's escort service, while Ayumi is living with her student-boyfriend as he struggles to finally get accepted to college.

Utsushimi

While butoh master Akaji Maro is in rehearsal and fashion designer Shinichiro Arakawa prepares for the Paris collection, Sion begins a movie about a high school girl who falls in love... with a restaurant cook she's never even spoken to. Soon the artists' works come together in a race to help the girl's love.

Artist of Fasting

A wordless man stages an unexplained hunger strike and the people surrounding him exploit his silence to further their own cause...

Traces of a Diary

Photography is diary... diary is life... in the end, the world and photography always end up alone, with each other.

Ishoku Manga-shi 33-nen no Kiseki ~ Garo no Jidai o Yomu

A documentary exploring the history and influence of the alternative manga magazine, Garo, with various artist and director interviews.

Dreamscape

In order to diagnose the psychic traumas suffered by his patients, Dr. Paul Novotny gets young Alex Gardner to enter their dreams.

Emmanuelle

An employee at the French Embassy in Bangkok invites his wife to join him – and enjoy the benefits of their open marriage.

The Science of Sleep

A man entranced by his dreams and imagination is lovestruck with a French woman and feels he can show her his world.

Strange Days

In the last days of 1999, ex-cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero receives a disc which contains the memories of the murder of a prostitute. With the help of bodyguard Mace, he starts to investigate and is pulled deeper and deeper in a whirl of murder, blackmail and intrigue.