Inspired by Spitz’s beloved 1998 song of the same name, KAEDE transforms its themes of cherished memories and the courage to move forward after loss into a sweeping, star-crossed love story. Drawing on the maple leaf’s symbolism of “beautiful change,” “cherished memories,” and “hesitation,” the film follows two grieving strangers who find healing amid New […]
An unexpected box office sensation in Japan, KOKUHO is the long-gestating passion project of director Lee Sang-il, whose previous work is familiar with HIFF audiences like HULA GIRLS and the Japanese remake of UNFORGIVEN. Born from his 15-year fascination with kabuki and the onnagata tradition—men playing women on stage—Lee adapts Shūichi Yoshida’s serialized novel into
Set in 1952, when Okinawa was still under U.S. occupation, Hero’s Island traces the turbulent lives of four young rebels who once raided American military bases to feed their community. Their charismatic leader On vanished after a daring heist with a “prize” far greater than planned, leaving childhood friends Gusuku, Yamako, and Rei to divergent
CLIMBING FOR LIFE, the newest work from acclaimed filmmaker Junji Sakamoto, is an inspiring biopic of pioneering Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei. In 1975, Tabei became the first woman to summit Mount Everest and later the first to complete the Seven Summits, conquering the highest peaks on every continent and redefining what women could achieve in
Adapted from an unfinished work by acclaimed dramatist Hisashi Inoue, ARMY ON THE TREE is inspired by real events on the Okinawan island of Iejima in the final days of World War II. Inoue, whose plays often examined the legacy of war and the shared responsibility of ordinary Japanese citizens, conceived the story as a
Every year, Shige has to get permission from the Hokkaido government, the fishermen’s union, the organization that fosters salmon, and the police department before he can start Marek fishing. He’ll get caught as a poacher if he catches a salmon without those permissions, even though his sole purpose of this it to keep the tradition
