We present a list of 6 movies, 3 documentaries and 3 short films you can’t miss at the Aichi International Women’s Film Festival that will be held from September 7th – 11st, in Aichi (Japan).

Full feature films

Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong by Emily Ting – Hong Kong, US | 2015 – 79 min.

In this sparkling romance, Ruby, a Chinese-American toy designer from LA, visits Hong Kong for the first time on business. Finding herself stranded, she meets Josh, an American expat who shows her the city. Meandering through nighttime streets of the famous million-dollar view of Hong Kong, pulsing with energy and possibility, they fall into a winding and carefree conversation, buoyed by an undeniable attraction. But just as things start to look promising for the pair romantically, the night is stopped short by a surprising revelation.

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

Schedule
September 11st – Will Hall – 14:10 pm

Anita’s last cha-cha (Ang huling cha-cha ni Anita) by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo
Philippines | 2013 – 112 min.

Commander Anita Flores is a quiet leader who has earned rank and respect among military officials. One day, memories of her younger days flash back. Twelve-year-old Anita lives in Obando, Bulacan and dreams of becoming a soldier someday. Life is routine, simple, and peaceful in the barrio. Suddenly, everything changes when the beautiful Pilar arrives in town. Years ago, Pilar left behind a romance with Anita’s uncle Oscar, and the village whispered rumors of her illegal abortion abroad. Now, the brazen Pilar is back as a businesswoman with whom little Anita fell in love. Determined to one day marry her, Anita musters up the courage to speak to Pilar, and the friendly woman befriends the young girl.

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

Schedule
September 9th – Will Hall – 10:00 am

Fukushima, mon amour (Grube aus Fukushima) by Doris Dorrie
Germany | 2016 – 104 min.

Young German woman Marie escapes to Fukushima to change her life. Working with the organization Clowns4Help, she hopes to bring joy to 2011 nuclear disaster survivors, some still living in emergency shelters. Marie soon realizes she’s absolutely unsuited to the task of making tragedy less wearisome. But instead of running away, Marie decides to stay with cantankerous old Satomi, the last geisha of Fukushima, who of her own accord has decided to retreat back to her ruined house in the formerly radioactive Exclusion Zone. Two women who couldn’t be more different, but who – each in her own way – are trapped in the past and must learn to liberate themselves from guilt and the burden of memory.

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

Schedule
September 7th – Will Hall – 14:00 pm
September 10th – Will Hall – 17:00 pm

Hee by Kaori Momoi – Japan | 2016 – 72 min.

The Japanese psychiatrist Dr. Sanada works at a clinic in Los Angeles. One day while shopping with his family, he encounters a woman whom he once treated, named Azusa. Her words reverberate in his mind, and he envisions questioning her at the clinic. Soon after the episode, Dr. Sanada gets the chance, but under very different circumstances. Azusa’s shocking story goes beyond anything he imagined. Azusa lost both parents in a fire as a child, was bullied at school, and later married a man who became unfaithful. After getting divorced, Azusa started working as a prostitute in the United States to support her debt-filled existence. As Dr. Sanada listens further, he begins to see himself mirrored in the various men whom Azusa recalls, being drawn deeper into her world. Azusa’s revelations escalate, pushing the story toward an unexpected conclusion.

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

Schedule
September 7th – Will Hall – 10:00 am

Murmur of the Hearts by Sylvia Chang – Taiwan, Hong Kong | 2015 – 119 min.

Nan and Mei are brother and sister growing up on the beautiful Green Island, off the shore of the port city of Taitung in Taiwan, and often to their mother’s fairytales of mermaids and angels. But soon their parents separated. Mei goes to Taipei with her mother, while Nan stays on Green Island with his father. Nan grows up to become a local tour guide on the Island. Mei lives in Taipei as a teacher of art. Mei’s boyfriend, Hsiang, is a boxer whose career is almost finished. One day, Nan, after confronting his father’s death and now living a seemingly solitary and quiet life, decides to go look for his sister.

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

Schedule
September 7th – Will Hall – 18:00 pm

Nagasaki: Memories of My Son by Yoji Yamada – Japan | 2015 – 130 min.

“Mother, you wouldn’t let me go so I had a hard time getting here, but I’ve finally made it.” August 9th, 1948, Nobuko, a midwife in Nagasaki, is stunned when she is suddenly visited by her son Koji, who she thought had died three years ago when an atomic bomb fell on the city. That same day, she had stood before his grave and told herself: “In that instant, he was gone. It’s time to let him go…”

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

Schedule
September 11th – Will Hall – 10:00 am

Documentaries

AI by Nobue Miyazaki – Japan | 2015 – 95 min.

Many mentally challenged women work at Workshop AI. Some make artifacts using such traditional processes as indigo dyeing or braiding while others are busy serving at Ai’s French restaurant. In a bid to promote understanding for the challenged, this documentary follows their struggle and tells of how they find hope for themselves.

Schedule
September 7th – Conference Room – 10:00 am

He named me Malala by Davis Guggenheim – US | 2015 – 88 min.

“He Named Me Malala” is a documentary film about teenage Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was severely wounded by a gunshot of the Taliban and miraculously survived. Portraying her heroic activities as a precocious campaigner, even under the threat of attack from the Taliban, for the right of girls to be educated, the film also shows us her everyday life and her family life.

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

Schedule
September 8th – Will Hall -13:30 pm

Start Line by Ayako Imamura – Japan | 2016 – 112 min.

Born deaf, director Imamura (“The Connecting Bridge,” AIWFF 2014) regards herself inept in communicating with others. The thought propels her to take on a bike trip through Japan and cover 3,824 km. This road movie chronicles her 57-day journey from Okinawa to Hokkaido as she pedals and cries while her cycling escort spurs her on.

Schedule
September 8th – Conference Room – 10:00 am

Short Films (September 9th – Conference Room – 13:00 pm) – Drama

From bottom of the vortex by Kozue Nomoto – Japan | 2015 – 27 min.

Seeing no future for her own lesbianism, Kiko decides to give up on unrequited love for her best friend and return home. However, when the best friend turns up with her boyfriend, Kiko feels provoked and her passion gets rekindled.

Sunday Cinderella by Baby Ruth Villarama – Philippines, Japan | 2015 – 29 min. | Documentary

Hong Kong is home to more than 190,000 Filipino domestic helpers. A working couple hire one to prepare meals and take their child to school. Another house helper looks after an old man who lives alone. For these and many other reasons, Filipino house helpers are in demand in Hong Kong. On Sundays, the house helpers congregate in a square in Hong Kong Island’s Central District. Here, they reminisce about their families back home. A beauty contest is held each June to celebrate Philippine Independence Day. The ladies dress up in their finest as they try to take the crown and live their most precious dream – to be free.

Trailer (Will open in a new window)

To Heel by Madoka – Japan | 2016 – 11 min. | Animation

“Follow the rules of heels. That’s the secret joy of women.” Combining drawings and three-dimensional computer graphics, this animation film depicts the secret joys of four women, each centering around the heels of women’s shoes.

Festival Venue
Will Aichi (Aichi Women’s Center)
1 Kamitatesuginocho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 461-0016,Japan
Phone　052-962-2511　Fax　052-962-2567

To know more about the festival you can see the FESTIVAL PROFILE or go to the official website to know all the screening times and dates HERE.