Embassy of Japan in Canada

Japanese Film Showings

Library and Archives Canada at 395, rue Wellington Street, Ottawa

in cooperation with the Canadian Film Institute

Free admission

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Saturday, October 22, 2011: 7:00pm (140 min.)

THE SUMMIT
A Chronicle of Stones

“If no one tries, there will never be a path.”

The year is 1907. Shibasaki, renowned for his skills as a surveyor, is suddenly called to General Staff Headquarters, where he receives orders to conquer Mt. Tsurugidake, the last uncharted region of Japan. At the time, the survey unit attached to General Staff Headquarters was in the process of charting Japan and had already created maps after triangulation of numerous mountain peaks. Aside from mountains climbing of which was prohibited for religious reasons, the survey group has climbed almost all the mountains in the country with the exception of Tsurugidake. Moreover, shortly after its inauguration, the Japan Alpine Club was already planning the tackle Tsurugidake and the army survey unit could not be seen to lose out to a civilian organization.

After receiving his orders, Shibasaki tackled the challenge of reaching the peak of Tsurugidake together with Chojiro, a local guide of good character familiar with the Tsurugidake area. Can they achieve the daunting task of crossing the precipitous mountain range and planting the survey records?

Saturday, October 22, 2011: 9:30pm (114min.)

Linda, Linda, Linda

This film about youth is set in modern-day high school just outside of Tokyo. In the days just before the school’s culture festival, a girl’s music group is facing a dilemma. They planned on playing an original piece of music but…three days before the festival, the guitarist appears to have broken her finger (actually she doesn’t want to break her nails) and an argument breaks out between the vocalist and Kyoko. They need to find a new guitarist and a new vocalist. While the remaining three girls are pondering who to ask to be the new vocalist, they hear the song, “Linda Linda Linda” by the famous Japanese rock band Blue Hearts and decide they want to sing it instead of an original song.
A Korean exchange student, Song, is sitting in the next room and they take the chance to ask her to be their vocalist. Her Japanese is not perfect, and she’s never sung in front of an audience, but she just happens to be listening to the Blue Hearts song. They practice and practice but they don’t seem to be improving. They spend a lot of time at Kei’s ex-boyfriend’s studio and at the school practicing late into the night. They are really tired, but a deep friendship develops among the four girls.
The night before the festival, they practice late into the night and exhaust themselves. They suddenly wake up the next morning and realize that they are late for the festival. They arrive at the school just as the festival is finishing and perform as the last act. The audience loves them and the four girls play their hearts out.

Saturday, November 5, 2011: 7:00pm (146 min.)

Always—Sunset on Third Street 2

Chagawa finds it increasing difficult to support his young ward Junnosuke in his store across the street from the Suzuki garage on Third Street. Unless he can provide a better life, Junnosuke's rich father, Kawabata will take him away. Chagawa focuses once again on winning the "Akutagawa-sho" literary award and the prize money coming with it. Mika, a 7-year old relative of the Suzukis is left to stay with them when her father has business reverses. She is accustomed to a richer life style and at first her behavior is very spoiled but is humbled when sees the menial chores that her same-aged cousin Ippei performs. Mutsuko continues to work in the family as a mechanic but has an aspiring boyfriend Takeo, who is studying cooking. Chagawa seeks to find Hiromi, who has become successful once more as the exotic dancer "Betty."

Written by Brian Greenhalgh (imdb.com)

Saturday, November 5, 2011: 9:30pm (120 min.)

Shindo

Shindo is the story of an unlikely friendship between 13 year old piano prodigy Uta Naruse and 19 year old aspiring pianist Wao Kikuna.  Uta is a truly unique child who could read sheet music before she could speak but now hates playing the piano since the disappearance of her pianist father, who left on a foreign concert tour and never returned.  Wao is the son of her neighbourhood grocer and desperately wants to enter an arts university and study piano to escape the fate of following in his father's footsteps.  Wao seems to lack the inspiration to succeed until he meets Uta.