Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2011

Prolific director Kiyoshi Kurosawa will talk about his films and field questions from audiences before an all-night screening at Shin-Bungeiza in Ikebukuro (3F, 1-43-5 Higashi-Ikebukuro Toshima-ku; www.shin-bungeiza.com) on July 30, from 10:30pm. The 55-year-old self-taught filmmaker has directed over 30 films in the horror, mystery and drama genres. After the Q&A, the theater will screen Kurosawa’s “Family Trilogy” including Tokyo Sonata (2008; pictured)… The Japanese coming-of-age drama The Azemichi Road is screening at art house Pole Pole (4-4-1 Higashi Nakano, Nakano-ku; www.mmjp.or.jp/pole2) from July 23. The debut feature by director Fumie Nishikawa centers on a deaf student at a small school in Shimonoseki who comes out of her shell after she befriends a group of girls who practice hip-hop dance in front of the town hall… The Italian comedy-drama Si Puo Fare (We Can Do That) is screening at Ginza’s Cine Switch (4-4-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku ; www.cineswitch.com) from July 23. Set in the early ’80s, when the Italian government cut budgets to mental hospitals, the film tells the story of a trade unionist who starts a flooring company staffed by former mental patients.

Unless otherwise noted, Japanese films are shown without English subtitles and non-English language films are shown with only Japanese subtitles.