There’s about two weeks left before this year’s Eiga Sai—the annual Japanese film festival. Here are a couple of films that you might be interested in:
1. “Parasyte”
The live-action film adaptation of an animé of the same title, “Parasyte” tells the tale of 17-year-old Shinichi Izumi, whose life takes an unexpected turn when alien creatures called Parasytes take over the planet.
2. “The God of Ramen”
Ramen-lovers are in for a treat with this documentary on the life of the late Kazuo Yamagishi, considered a god in the ramen industry. Find out what made his ramen creations special by watching this inspiring entry.
3. “Wa-shoku ~Beyond Sushi~”
Another mouth-watering documentary focusing on Japanese traditional cuisine, food culture and the lives of some of the people in the world of wa-shoku, or Japanese food.
4. “Princess Jellyfish”
Tsukimi Kurashita is an awkward, jellyfish-loving girl who moves to Tokyo to pursue her dreams of becoming an illustrator. Along with other eccentric tenants, she moves into a girls-only apartment called Amamizukan, which is on the brink of being demolished.
5. “Our Family”
A story about a dysfunctional family forced to rekindle their relationships when the mother is diagnosed with brain cancer, and is given a week to live. Award-winning director Yuya Ishii will be present at the opening night at the Shang Cineplex on July 9.
Eiga Sai: The Japanese Film Festival will be held July 9-Aug. 23, in celebration of the Philippines-Japan Friendship month.
All films have English subtitles. Screening venues are Shang Cineplex Cinema 2, July 9-19); FDCP Cinematheque, Davao, July 14-19; Abreeza Mall Cinema, Davao July 24-26; UP Film Institute, Aug. 12-15; and Ayala Center Cinema 4, Cebu, Aug. 19-23. Visit www.jfmo.org.ph for more details.
