Festival Japan Offers Free Films in Ottawa Oct. 24 & 25

Until the Break of Dawn screens free at Festival Japan on Oct. 24.

Fans of world cinema in the National Capital may look forward to a pair of free screenings this weekend courtesy of the Canadian Film Institute (CFI) when Festival Japan screens Oct. 24 and 25. Festival Japan, presented by the CFI in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and The Japan Foundation, offers two contemporary Japanese films for Ottawa cinephiles. Both films screen in the new River Building at Carleton University, which will be the new home to many future CFI screenings to come. Take a parking tip from a thrifty Carleton grad, though, before heading to the fest: there is no free parking on campus, but anyone willing to walk five minutes may find ample free parking on the other side of Bronson Avenue at Brewer Park. Why spend money on parking when you can take a brisk walk (use the tunnels if it’s cold!) and then go for drinks afterwards?

Here’s what’s playing at Festival Japan:

Friday, October 24, 2014, 6:30 pm:

Until the Break of Dawn (Tsunagu)
Dir. Yuichiro Hirakawa, 2012.
Synopsis: Until the Break of Dawn tells the story of Ayumi (Tori Matsuzaka), a high school student gifted with the ability to connect the living with the dead; the gift of a ‘tsunagu’ and he offers his help to a variety of characters. Adapted from the best-selling novel Tsunagu, writer/director Yuichiro Hirakawa delivers a powerful story of love, loss, and the strength of the human bond.

Saturday, October 25, 2014, 6:30 pm

The God of Ramen (Râmen yori taisetsuna mono)
Dir. Takashi Innami, 2013
Synopsis: It is no secret that Taishoken is the most popular ramen noodle shop in town, where its charismatic owner, Kazuo Yamagishi AKA ‘the God of Ramen’, has kept customers queuing up for over forty years. Brought to the screen by director Takashi Innami, this warm and heart-felt documentary is a compelling portrait revealing one man’s passion and the world, and taste buds, he has inspired.

Both films screen in Japanese, with English sub-titles.
All films are free and screen at the River Building Theatre, Carleton University. 43 Campus Ave.
(At the corner of University Dr. near the Gandhi statue.)

Please visit www.cfi-icf.ca for more information on Festival Japan.