Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2013

Pieta [pictured], the latest work by enfant terrible of Korean cinema Kim Ki-duk, is currently screening at Bunkamura’s Le Cinema (2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku; www.bunkamura.co.jp). Kim mixes Christian symbolism with sexual content to tell the story of a heartless loan shark thug who feels compelled to change his brutal ways when he encounters a woman claiming to be his long-lost mother.

It’s not over till the fat king sings, as the Opéra national de Paris continues its series of live opera broadcasts with Verdi’s Falstaff from June 28 at Le Cinema and Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills (6-10-2 Roppongi Minato-ku; www.tohotheater.jp).

The program “Special Effects Museum” running through August 2 at I Jimbocho Theater (1-23 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku; http://jinbocho-theater.jp) presents 16 Japanese films from the ‘50s and ‘60s featuring invisible men, aliens and giant flying turtles.

In case you missed the spring’s big releases the first time around, second-run house Waseda Shochiku (1-5-16 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku; www.wasedashochiku.co.jp) is screening Django Unchained paired with Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 from June 22 and Cloud Atlas along with Life of Pi from June 29.