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Venue: history — and yet, it can also be seen as an affirmation that upbringing does not always determine one’s fate. Director Takuya Uchiyama ( Sasaki in My Mind , The Young Strangers ) returns to his hometown in snowy Niigata for this deeply personal, semi-autobiographical drama exploring childhood trauma, poverty and fractured family relationships. It’s screening with English subtitles at Uplink Kichijoji. Young Daichi (Haruto Akimoto) grows up in a scrappy coastal town, where his drunken father’s (Masatoshi Nagase) violent rages scar him so intensely that he becomes mute. Neglected by his mother, Aki (Rie Miyazawa, pulling out all the stops), who works nights to support them, he is eventually forced to live by his wits and the occasional kindness of a neighbor. Although his mother returns occasionally, she’s unable to offer much emotional or financial support, leaving 11-year-old Daichi (Anji Kato) to scour the town for scraps, living in isolation and intense loneliness, longing to make a connection but finding no one there. As a teen, Daichi (Tsukasa Enomoto) remains uneducated and somehow devoted to his mother, who is nearly always drunk but never quite monstrous. Finally, he can no longer cope with the brutality of her latest lover, and sets out to find his absent father. When we next meet him, it’s nearly 10 years later, and Daichi (Takumi Kitamura) is a heavily tattooed bartender/dealer, still mute and always wary, still living alone. When he hears that his mother is dying, his anger prevents him from offering succor at first. But gradually, a kind of revenge is within his grasp. Uchiyama’s story is a tough watch, unfolding somewhat like an observational documentary with a handheld camera trailing the protagonist everywhere. There is no narration to explain actions and motives, no music to prompt emotions. It’s thus crucial to remember that the Daichi character is Uchiyama himself, and that he is now an indie-darling director. There is, apparently, always hope. Uplink Kichijoji ·
Posted: Oct 09, 2026
Venue: as enduring as Yasujiro Ozu’s. More than six decades after his death, his deceptively simple portraits of family life, generational change and the passage of time continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. This new documentary by Oscar-nominated director Daniel Raim offers an intimate portrait that is a must-see for fans. Fortunately, it is now playing with English subtitles. The Ozu Diaries explores the classic master’s life, creative philosophy and cinematic legacy through his personal diaries, letters, photographs and rarely seen home movies. Produced in collaboration with Shochiku, Ozu’s longtime home studio, it premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival to rapturous reviews and is being released around the world. Interviews with filmmakers including Wim Wenders, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Luc Dardenne and Tsai Ming-liang—all avowed Ozu fans—illuminate the director’s lasting influence, while recollections from actress Kyoko Kagawa ( Tokyo Story ) and others who knew him reveal more about the man behind the films. Raims spent seven years exploring Ozu’s life and lasting influence, and he amply illustrates the director’s own influences, beginning with the early years, before he seemed destined to direct, and then covering his first silent comedies through his service during WWII and into his postwar work, which was directly informed by his time in China. Accompanying the release of The Ozu Diaries , Bunkamura Le Cinéma in Shibuya is presenting a retrospective of 11 Ozu films, including several digitally restored classics, but none of them is English subtitled. Bunkamura Le Cinema Shibuya Miyashita ·
Posted: Oct 09, 2026