JFTFP24: YOKO

Thursday 7th March 2024

Tickets £5 / £4 concessions

Dir. KUMAKIRI Kazuyoshi, Japan, 2022, 113 mins. Cast. KIKUCHI Rinko, TAKEHARA Pistol, KUROSAWA Asuka, FUBUKI Jun, ODAGIRI Joe. In Japanese with English subtitles.

Age guidance: 15


42-year-old Yoko (KIKUCHI Rinko) leads a reclusive, penniless, and somewhat hopeless life in Tokyo. For 20 years, ever since her father objected to her chasing her dreams, she has held a grudge against him.

One day, Yoko is notified of her father’s passing, and so she reluctantly departs for her hometown of Hirosaki to attend his funeral, together with her cousin Shigeru (TAKEHARA Pistol) and his family. Along the way, however, Shigeru and his family become distracted, leaving Yoko stranded. Unable to call for help or pay for a train, Yoko decides to hitchhike the remainder of the journey, and as she travels, she encounters various people from all walks of life, including the ghost of her father. Will Yoko make it to the funeral on time? And can she reconcile her long-held grudge against her father?

Directed by KUMAKIRI Kazuyoshi, a familiar face at international film festivals, and featuring an ending theme by ISHIBASHI Eiko (Drive My Car) and Jim O’Rourke, YOKO is a raw and passionate depiction of one forty-something woman’s journey to come to terms with her past.

Dates & Times

 Thursday 7th Mar 2024  8:30pm
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The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024

Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema

YOKO – Thursday 7 March, 8.30pm
Thousand and One Nights – Thursday 14 March, 5.45pm
From the End of the World – Thursday 21 March, 8.15pm
The Zen Diary – Thursday 28 March, 6pm

Experience Japan Through Cinema
The UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP24), returns with its biggest showcase ever!

Memories play a powerful role in the mind. Shaped fluidly by individuals or time, they have been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, fuelling their creativity to craft colourful stories. The JFTFP24 delves into Japanese cinema to explore how memories are employed in the cinematic voices of Japanese filmmakers, from films where memories are a focal point to works where they play a subliminal role in driving or affecting people’s minds and behaviour. With an incredibly diverse range of films all based on memories, time, and reflections, this year’s programme is set to provide UK audiences with memorable stories and unforgettable moments.

Organised by: The Japan Foundation
Major Supporter: The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
Sponsor in Kind: SUQQU, Athletia, Clearspring, Pentel

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