JapanCountry of Honour

On August 6, 1945, 20-year-old Yasuko was exposed to radioactive “black rain” while traveling to her uncle Shigematsu’s house in Hiroshima. Five years later, she lives with Shigematsu and his wife in a small village, where the community still bears the deep physical and mental scars of the war. Shigematsu’s greatest concern is Yasuko’s future. Despite her beauty, every marriage proposal fails due to rumors that she is a victim of the “Pika” (atomic flash). To prove her health, Shigematsu painstakingly recopies her diary to show she wasn’t near the blast site. However, as his friends begin to die of radiation sickness and his wife’s mental health declines, the tragic reality sets in. Despite her quiet bond with a traumatized veteran named Yuichi, the “black rain” finally begins to consume Yasuko, and her hair begins to fall out.

Sales Company: TOEI COMPANY, LTD.
Production Year: 1989
Genres: Drama, Historical, Fiction, War
Duration: 123 min

In Competition | Festival de Cannes 1989

A story of a beautiful yet tragic bond between siblings: the younger brother, who deprived of affection amid the complex dynamic between his writer father and insecure stepmother, gradually falls into delinquency; and his strong-willed older sister, who protects him and continues to offer him the love he lacks.

Sales Company: KADOKAWA CORPORATION
Production Year: 1960
Genre: Drama
Duration: 98 min
Cast: Keiko Kishi, Hiroshi Kawaguchi
Writer: Yoko Mizuki

In Competition | Festival de Cannes 1961

Takuro (Koji Yakusho), who stabbed and killed his wife in a fit of rage after catching her in the act of cheating on him, opens a quiet barber’s shop in Sawara, Chiba Prefecture, following his release on parole after serving his sentence. Having lost all trust in people, he opens his heart only to his pet eel, his sole companion, and lives a taciturn existence. One day, after saving a woman named Keiko from attempting suicide, he decides to employ her at his barbershop, and a change begins to take hold in Yamashita’s closed-off heart. This is a human comedy in which a man who has lost faith in humanity gradually regains his connection with society through his interactions with his peculiar neighbours.

Sales Company : SHOCHIKU CO., LTD
Production Year: 1997
Genre: Fiction
Duration: 117 min
Cast: Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Akira Emoto, Etsuko Ichihara
Writers: Motofumi Tomikawa, Daisuke Tengan, Shohei Imamura

Palme d’Or | Festival de Cannes 1997

“KWAIDAN” is a visually stunning anthology film consisting of four supernatural tales (“THE BLACK HAIR”, “THE WOMAN OF THE SNOW”, “HOICHI THE EARLESS”, “IN A CUP OF TEA”) each based on traditional Japanese ghost stories collected by Lafcadio Hearn (Yakumo Koizumi) in his book “Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things”. Through vivid cinematography, elaborate set designs, and haunting music, Kobayashi creates an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere that explores themes of love, betrayal, vengeance, and the supernatural. Each story is a standalone narrative, yet all are unified by their ethereal tone and moral undertones. The film premiered at the 1965 Cannes International Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Sales Company: TOHO GLOBAL INC.
Production Year: 1965
Genres: Horror, Drama, Thriller
Duration: 183 min
Cast: Rentaro Mikuni, Keiko Kishi, Tatsuya Nakadai

Special Jury Prize | Festival de Cannes 1965