Now Showing June 2

Ryunosuke Akutagawa is one of Japan’s most acclaimed story writers; his 1922 short story ‘Torocco’ (Rail Truck) has been adapted to film and opened on May 22. Making his feature length directorial debut is Hirofumi Kawaguchi, who began work on the film in the summer of 2006 after fondly recalling the strong impression the story had left on him as a schoolboy. His desire to make the film took him to Taiwan, where there are still places where rail trucks can be found.

‘Rail Truck’ is the coming of age story about an adventure two young brothers have one summer, set against the brilliant green backdrop of rural Taiwan. Elementary school student Atsushi’s father passes away unexpectedly one summer day, and Atsushi, his mother and his younger brother have to carry his father’s ashes to his hometown: a small village in south central Taiwan. There is a sadness in Atsushi’s heart that belies his young age, and he worries about his mother, who in turn meekly fawns over his spoiled younger brother. Their grandfather awaits them in his father’s hometown, that is at the same time so close and yet so far. He welcomes poor little Atsushi, run down as he is by the daily wear and tear of a strained family relationship. His kind words – spoken in fluent Japanese – comfort the boy. Atsushi has a photograph that belonged to his father of an old hand-powered rail truck, and his grandfather helps him locate the spot where the photograph was taken. A few days later, Atsushi gets it in his head to ride the rail truck. At first he exhilarates in the thrill of the rail truck’s speed, but the thrill gradually gives way to uneasiness as the rail trucks cuts its way into the depths of the dense forest.

Kawaguchi scouted all over Taiwan to find a location that still had operational rail ties for a rail truck. While scouting a suitable location he was struck by the number of senior citizens who, due to having been raised during Japan’s colonisation of Taiwan, were able to speak Japanese fluently. To that end, he set about reworking the original Akutagawa short story; after three years he had an original work about the bonds that hold a family together.

Kawaguchi has assembled an outstanding cast and crew from both Japan and Taiwan. The cinematography is by the incredibly well respected and internationally active Mark Lee Ping-Bin, one of the first names in cinematographers based in Asia. Though known mostly for his work on Hsiao-Hsien Hou’s films, he has also worked on Wong Kar Wai’s ‘In the Mood for Love’, and Anh Hung Tran’s ‘The Vertical Ray of the Sun’. In Japan he has worked on Isao Yukisada’s ‘Spring Snow’ and Hirokazu Koreeda’s ‘Air Doll’. His work on ‘Rail Truck’ captures a number of beautiful and precious moments that, though they were filmed in Taiwan, could just as easily have unfolded in Japan. The viewer will be drawn into the screen by Taiwan’s vibrancy and elegant beauty.

Rail Truck

Japan 2010
Japanese title: Torocco
Opened: May 22
Director, writer: Hirofumi Kawaguchi
Cast: Machiko Ono, Kento Harada, Kyoichi Omae, Hong Liu, Chang Han, Wan Fang, Bryant Chang, Mei Fang
Distributor: Bitters End
Website: www.torocco-movie.com/english.html

‘Haru to no Tabi’

A grandfather who legs aren’t quite what they used to be takes off from the family home in Hokkaido and hits the road for Miyagi, Tohoku. His granddaughter, who was just recently laid off, insists on tagging along in order to look after him. Together they undertake a journey of discovery into the quiet spaces of a family that has become estranged.

Japan, 2009
Opened: May 22
Director, writer: Masahiro Kobayashi
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Eri Tokunaga, Hideji Otaki, Kin Sugai, Kaoru Kobayashi, Yuko Tanaka, Akira Emoto, Chikage Awashima, Jun Miho, Naho Toda, Teruyuki Kagawa
Distributor: T-joy, Asmik Ace
Website: movie.haru-tabi.com/

Legion

Abandoned by God, man must go head-to-head with God’s legion of angels. The fate of mankind rests in the hands of the Archangel Michael, who in siding with man has turned his back on God. Legion is an action thriller starring Paul Bettany of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ fame.

USA, 2010
Opened: May 22
Producer, director, writer: Scott Stewart
Cast: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Lucas Black
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Website: legion.jp/

Kill the Referee

This documentary is a hard look at the game of soccer through the eyes of the referees without whom professional play could not exist. It follows the turmoil caused by some of the rulings handed down during the Euro 2008 championship.

Belgium, 2009
Japanese title: Referee, Shirarezaru Soccer no Urabutai
Opened: May 22
Director: Yves Hinaut, Eric Cardot, Lehericey Delphine
Cast: Howard Webb, Roberto Rosetti, Michel Platini
Distributor: Uplink
Website: www.webdice.jp/referee/

Whip It

A disenchanted high school student in small town Texas is inexplicably drawn to the roller derby, and discovers herself after enduring the rigors of training in this coming of age girl power film directed by Drew Barrymore and starring Ellen Page of ‘Juno’ fame.

USA, 2009
Japanese title: Roller Girls Diary
Opened: May 22
Producer, Director: Drew Barrymore
Cast: Ellen Page, Macia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern
Distributor: Gaga
Website: roller-girls.gaga.ne.jp/