This May and June, JFT is stoked to present the LIVE HOUSE FILMS series in celebration of J-rock and the Japanese indie music scene.
A live house (ライブハウス) is a Japanese music venue that usually doubles as bars and features live rock, jazz, blues, punk, experimental, and folk music. The term “live house” has taken on its own counter-cultural meaning beyond it’s literal English definition and extends its reach across indie music communities all over East Asia.
Due to restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the livelihood of many live houses were jeopardized and many had to close their doors.
LIVE FROM TOKYO
Friday, May 5, 5:59PM (ET) to Sunday, May 7, 11:59 PM (ET)
Virtual Film Screening (Canada-wide)
WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES ウィーアーリトルゾンビーズ
Friday, May 19, 5:59PM (ET) to Sunday, May 21, 11:59 PM (ET)
Virtual Film Screening (Canada-wide)
ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND 音楽
Saturday, June 3, 1:00 PM (ET)
Cineplex Cinemas Scarborough
Free Admission for All Screenings
Live From Tokyo
Stream for free Canada-wide, May 5-7
Directed by Lewis Rapkin • 2010 • Documentary / Music • 81 min. • Presented in Japanese & English with English subtitles • Rated PG • Trailer
Live From Tokyo takes you back to Japan in the late 2000s through the back streets in Shinjuku, the intersections in Shibuya, the alleys in Koenji, and all over Tokyo, as it spotlights the innovative artists that populate the multi-faceted underground music scene.
We Are Little Zombies ウィーアーリトルゾンビーズ
Stream for free Canada-wide, May 19-21
Directed by NAGAHISA Makoto • 2019 • Drama / Music • 120 min. • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Rated PG • Trailer
Their parents are dead. They should be sad, but they can’t cry. So they form a kick-ass band. This is the story of four 13-year-olds in search of their emotions.
On-Gaku: Our Sound 音楽
Cineplex Cinemas Scarborough on Saturday, June 3 (part of the Together We Rise Arts Festival)
Directed by IWAISAWA Kenji • 2019 • Anime / Comedy / Music • 71 min. • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Rated PG • Trailer
When you’re a bored teenager looking for thrills, sometimes the only thing you can turn to is rock ’n roll. Having no skill, money, or even a full set of drums, a feared trio of high school delinquents nevertheless decide they are destined for musical glory in a quest to impress their only friend Aya, avoid a rival gang, and – most importantly – jam out.
Related Programming:
Further Explore the World of J-Rock & Japanese Indie Music with JFT Library Items!
Deepen your appreciation of J-rock and Japanese indie music with JFT Library’s items curated for the Live House Films series! With our selection of fiction and nonfiction books/manga and audiovisual materials, you will gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture behind this exciting genre. Whether you are a die-hard fan or new to the scene, we hope the library items will enrich your Live House Film Series experience! Check out the list here.
*Missed the virtual film screening of Live from Tokyo? Borrow JFT Library’s DVD of this inspiring documentary about the ever-evolving and multifaceted indie and underground music culture in Tokyo!
