The 31st Tokyo International Film Festival opens today with a fine selection of films from East and West. Held at Roppongi Hills, TIFF, one of Asia's largest film fests, is serving up cinematic treats from Japan and around the world. Opening the festival is A Star Is Born, the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga musical romantic drama. Closing the festival on Nov 3 will be Japanese animation Godzilla: The Planet Eater, the final chapter of the animated monster trilogy.
A selection of Thai films will be showcased at the festival. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit's idol documentary BNK48: Girls Don't Cry comes to the home of the girl group's sister act AKB48. GDH's drama about feuding siblings Brother Of The Year, starring Sunny Suwanmethanont, Urassaya Sperbund and Nichkhun Horvejkul, will be shown as part of Crosscut Asia, which focuses on Southeast Asia this year. Another Thai title is Ten Years Thailand, in which four Thai directors share their visions of our country a decade from now.
In addition to films, there is also TIFF Plus, which features a wide range of activities promoting the city's attractions, especially in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Anime events, fashion galas, sports, travel, food and more feature as part of the programme.
Some films to keep an eye out for at TIFF 2018 include:
The Father's Shadow
Brazil
Rising screenwriter and filmmaker Gabriela Amaral Almeida taps into her childhood memories for her second feature, a personal project about a young girl becoming the adult of the house following her mother's death and her father's deteriorating health. This horror drama fuses supernatural elements to the tale of a family's struggle, as the girl resorts to magical means to save her family.
Tel Aviv On Fire
Luxembourg, France, Israel and Belgium
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict forming the basis of a comedy may not sound like such a good idea. But director Sameh Zoabi believes that it gives him the freedom to discuss a sensitive issue while shedding light on its complexities. In the film, a Palestinian man living in Jerusalem has to travel through Israeli checkpoints each day in order to work on a hit soap opera. The film portrays a clash of two realities: the colourful world of TV and the gritty street outside the studio.
The White Crow
UK
Renowned British actor Ralph Fiennes returns with his third directorial feature, following Coriolanus (2011) and The Invisible Woman (2013). Set in the Soviet Union in 1950s, The White Crow is a biopic of legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who rose from a poor childhood to join a prestigious ballet academy, before defecting to the West while in Paris. Professional dancer Oleg Ivenko plays the role of Nureyev.
The Bra
Germany and Azerbaijan
Veit Helmer tells the tale of Azerbaijani train driver Nurlan on his quest to look for the owner of a blue bra snagged by his train. Like Prince Charming searching for Cinderella, Nurlan goes door-to-door into the private worlds of women trying to convince each of them to try on the bra. Helmer shot the film in a Baku neighbourhood where people's lives were intertwined with the railway before the suburb was demolished. The film has no dialogue.
Another World
Japan
If you're in your 40s, is it too late to turn your life around? Japanese director Junji Sakamoto's latest feature explores the hopes, friendships and struggles of three old classmates who are approaching their 40s. When an old friend returns their provincial town after a long absence, they are compelled to reassess their life choices and contemplate what lies ahead.
Cold Sweat
Iran
Women's rights take centre stage in Soheil Beiraghi's second feature. Cold Sweat sees the captain of Iran's national women's futsal team being held back from taking part in the Asian Games in Malaysia due to her husband not signing an official document allowing her to leave the country. Her husband worries that she will leave home forever and the two fail to reach an agreement.
