In conjunction with the Ryusuke Hamaguchi Retrospective: The Theatre of Emotions co-presented by The Japan Foundation, Toronto and Cinema Moderne from May 9 to May 13, 2019 in Montreal Canada, we will be featuring three special film screenings of his films in Toronto as well. Director will be in attendance for many of the screenings!

Ryūsuke Hamaguchi is a key figure of the Japanese film renaissance. Ever since his graduation film, Passion, he has shown remarkable thematic and aesthetic maturity. His reputation has grown quickly over the last ten years, a decade when he averaged one film a year, whether fiction or documentary. Hamaguchi has constantly reinvented his work process while staying true to his artistic identity. He is at ease with films of any length – from 30 minutes to more than 5 hours – and both professional and amateur actors. An admirer of Rohmer, Cassavetes and Hawks, he is adept at blending genres. Hamaguchi’s films explore complex emotions and social norms, and reveal a particular fascination for the relationship between reality and role-playing.
HAPPY HOUR
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (317 min. in three parts) 2015
Japanese with English subtitles.
A slow-burning epic that follows the emotional journey of four thirtysomething women in the seaside city of Kobe. As they navigate the unsteady currents of work, domestic, and romantic lives, an unexpected rift opens that propels each to a new, richer understanding of life and love. Part of the Ryusuke Hamaguchi Retrospective.
Location: Japan Foundation, Toronto & Alliance Francaise Toronto
Free admission, registration required RSVP here >
Part 1: Friday May 10, 6:30 PM @JFT
Part 2: Monday May 13, 6:30 PM @JFT
Part 1, 2, 3: Saturday April 27, 2019 11:30 AM – 5:45 PM @JFT (Has ended)
© 2015 Kobe Workshop Cinema Project

ASAKO I & II 寝ても覚めても
Tuesday May 14, 2019 7:00 PM
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (120 min.) 2018 Japanese with English subtitles
“One of the best films of the year” – Kinema Jumpo
“Beguiling and mysterious. A drama wrought from doubt – sweet, soulful and achingly sad.” – Michael Leader, Sight & Sound
Asako’s first love, the charismatic Baku, suddenly disappears. Two years later she’s given a chance to relive her romance when she meets his perfect double, Ryohei in a Tokyo coffee shop. This powerful and thought-provoking investigation into the nature of love was nominated for 2018 Palme d’Or at Cannes. Part of the Ryusuke Hamaguchi Retrospective.
Starring Erika Karata and Masahiro Higashide.
Free admission, registration required RSVP here > 416.441.2345 or email jccc@jccc.on.ca
Location: Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Kobayashi Hall

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi in attendance!
© 2018 MK2 Films

PASSION
May 16, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
MASTER CLASS with Ryusuke Hamaguchi to follow screening of Passion.
Filmmakers, cinema studies students and film fans are welcome!
Location: Japan Foundation, Toronto
Free admission, registration required RSVP here >
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (115 min.) 2008
At a friends’ gathering in a restaurant, a young couple announces their engagement. During that night and the following days, tension between the participants rapidly comes to the surface and their mutual bonds fundamentally change. RSVP here >
© 2008 Tokyo University of the Arts
About Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Born in 1978 in Kanagawa, Ryūsuke Hamaguchi is a Japanese film director. Passion (2008) is his graduation work, and was well-received by his professors including renowned director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It was followed by the Japanese-Korean coproduction The Depths (2010) and a documentary series co-directed by Ko Sakai, the Tohoku Trilogy (2011-2013). His recent fiction films include Intimacies (2012) and Touching the Skin of Eeriness (2013). In 2015 his feature fiction Happy Hour won a Golden Leopard for the Best Actress at Locarno Film Festival (given to the ensemble cast). His latest feature Asako 1 & 2 was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi – The Theatre of Emotions

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