In the aftermath of the great earthquake and nuclear meltdown that devastated the Northeast coast of Japan, two families whose homes fall on opposite sides of the evacuation border must confront hard choices about whether to leave, and whose orders to follow. The elderly Onos have deep reasons for not wanting to abandon their dairy farm, while their son Yoichi and his wife Izumi fear the insidious effects of radiation on Izumi's pregnancy. Meanwhile, the Suzukis' son helps his girlfriend search for her parents in a devastated landscape.

Fresh from the triumph of his Tuscany-set Certified Copy (NYFF 2010), master filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami travels even further afield from his native Iran for this mysteriously beautiful romantic drama filmed entirely in Japan. Like Someone in Love revolves around the brief encounter between an elderly professor (the wonderful 81-year-old stage actor Tadashi Okuno, here playing his first leading role in a film) and a sociology student (Rin Takanashi) who moonlights as a high-end escort. Dispatched to the old man by her boss— one of the professor's former students— the young woman finds her latest client less interested in sex than in cooking her soup, talking, and playing old Ella Fitzgerald records (like the one that gives the film its allusive title). Eventually, night gives way to day and a tense standoff with the student's insanely jealous boyfriend (Ry? Kase); but as usual in Kiarostami, nothing is quite as it appears on the surface. Are these characters— who conjure in one another the specters of regret and roads not taken— meeting by chance, or is it fate? Is this love, or merely something like it?

After her husband kills himself, future prospects for the demure and beautiful Mitsuko Fuji look incredibly bleak. Fortunately, her dead husband's largest creditor, Mr. Kito, is there to offer a shoulder to cry on as he offers to settle all her debts. But, sure enough, Kito's charity comes with certain strings attached; namely that Mitsuko becomes his personal sex slave. Things become even more complicated when Kito's son Kazuhiko falls for the helpless widow, throwing into jeopardy his own marriage plans.

Exquisitely detailed family drama shines with warmth and understanding. Lushly photographed story incorporates elements of director Hirokazu Kore-Eda's personal experience. On the 15th anniversary of the death of the Yokoyama family's youngest son, the remaining siblings visit the quaint home of their parents with their own families in tow. New relatives become acquainted tell stories and squabble over sizzling tempura. An elegant graveside ritual is performed. "***** (highest rating). A new classic... moviemaking of a rare emotional subtlety" -Rothkopf, Time Out NY

In this tale of star-crossed love, two troubled young lovers - a gambler and a stripper - run off to the tranquil Japanese countryside to marry and start a new life. But their dark past follows them in the form of a veteran loan shark.

At an all female high school, a senior of the broadcast club becomes fascinated with the club's newest member. As graduation approaches and the summer heat rises, so does the sexual tension between the girls. Inspired by the photo book of photographer Yuki Aoyama.

Cult director Takashi Ishii (Flower and Snake, Gonin) puts his signature touch on this perverse detective story, where a hardboiled private investigator finds himself lured into a strange world filled with violence and sex when he takes on an odd job to retrieve a lost Rolex for his mysterious employer.

Screened at Sundance, this serene coming-of-age story follows a cynical Japanese high-school girl as she learns the joy of lending an helping hand in the quieter parts of life.

Yuka is a troubled young woman who suddenly begins working part-time as a high-class call girl. During her trysts with various clients she finds unexpected romance while on the job.

One of the most visionary, deeply personal works in the 60-year career of the master behind Rashomon, The Seven Samurai and Ran. Featuring eight episodes rich in imagery and insight (and casting MARTIN SCORSESE as a feisty Vincent Van Gogh), it explores the costs of war, the perils of nuclear power and especially humankind's need to harmonize with nature. You will be enchanted ... and enthralled. MPAA Rating: PG (c) 1990 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Twelve-year-old Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in the southern region of Japan. His younger brother Ryunosuke lives with their father in the northern region of Japan. The brothers have been separated by their parents' divorce, and Koichi's only wish is for his family to be reunited. When he learns that a new bullet train line will soon open linking the two towns, he starts to believe that a miracle will take place the moment these new trains first pass each other at top speed. With help from the adults around him, Koichi sets out on a journey with a group of friends, each hoping to witness a miracle.

Hawaii, 1918. She left Japan for a man she had never met, in a new world she couldn't imagine...America Inspired by the true stories of Hawaii's picture brides, this unforgettable story is set amidst the breathtaking scenery of a tropical paradise. With only a picture in hand, a spirited young woman leaves behind all she knows for the far-off islands of Hawaii - and an arranged marriage with a man she has known only through photographs and letters. Though stunned by the reality she encounters upon her arrival, in time her new life is filled with unexpected discovery and joy. featuring Youki Kudoh (Snow Falling On Cedars), Tamlyn Tomita (The Joy Luck Club), and the legendary Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai) in his final film appearance. Picture Bride won the coveted Audience Award for Best Dramatic Film at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

Published in 1987 and since translated into 33 languages, NORWEGIAN WOOD is a story of loss and heartbreak in a time of global instability. Haruki Murakami's bestselling novel is brought to the screen by Tran Anh Hung (Golden Lion winner for CYCLO and Academy Award nominee for "The Scent of Green Papaya") and features Japanese rising star Kenichi Matsuyama and Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi alongside newcomer Kiko Mizuhara. Tokyo, the late 1960s...Students around the world are uniting to overthrow the establishment and Toru Watanabe's personal life is similarly in tumult. At heart, he is deeply devoted to his first love, Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman. But their complex bond has been forged by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Watanabe lives with the influence of death everywhere. That is, until Midori, a girl who is everything that Naoko is not -- outgoing, vivacious, supremely self-confident -- marches into his life...

After a sex education in school, Haruna begins to wonder if she is pregnant. When she feels "The baby needs me like I need my mother", she decides to give birth to the baby. Her classmates happen to know her pregnancy and they join hands with her.
(c)2008 "CHILD by CHILDREN" Film Partners

UTA used to be a child prodigy and still taking lessons but doesn't show interest to play piano anymore. She teaches playing piano to WAO, a 19 years-old boy, who wants to enter Conservatoire and let him use the grand piano in the residence where she used to live with her parents.
(c)2007 "GENIUS" Film Partners

A Japanese man travels to China with his dying son to learn the local opera of Yunnan Province. © 2005 Elite Group (2004) Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.