How to make the most of your EIGASAI experience

This year’s EIGASAI film festival features 17 very diverse films.

Film festivals, especially those with a broad lineup, inclusive pricing and a large following, can be tough to figure out. With so many movies on offer and limited time, viewers need to quickly assess which movies interest them versus which screening fits their schedules.

Over the past twenty-two years of the EIGASAI film festival, the Japan Foundation Manila has consistently curated a selection of films that show us a little bit of Japanese culture and society. This year’s festival, says programming director Kanami Namiki, includes a very diverse selection of 17 movies to provide viewers with a wider range of perspectives. The variety of choices can certainly broaden your cinematic horizons, but it can also lead to a mild case of FOMO when you inevitably drop a promising movie due to scheduling constraints. So here’s a quick and easy guide on how to make the most of your EIGASAI experience. 

1. Think of a theme

Unless you’ve set your sights on a specific movie, it’s best to think thematically when scanning the EIGASAI selection. There’s always one or two takes on a topic—or different interpretations of conventional genres—so if one film doesn’t fit your schedule, you can always check out the other.

2. Family feels

Movies about family in all its forms, and how people navigate situations that test the strength and resilience of these relationships are EIGASAI mainstays. 

Notable picks from this year’s lineup include the animated film Mirai (2018) the story of a young boy, resentful about being a older brother, who is visited by the older, future version of his new baby sister. 

The Korean immigrant family that operates the Yakiniku Dragon (2018) contends with poverty and racism in post-war Japan, while the festival closer, The House Where the Mermaid Sleeps (2018) follows a married couple coming to terms with the accident that befell their daughter.

3. The sporting life

On the surface, the sports movie genre may seem narrowly focused on underdogs overcoming insurmountable odds, but the structure of competition and the motivations of the players provide ample material for a wide range of stories. 

Mixed Doubles (2017), starring popular actors Eita and Aragaki Yui, takes a josei approach to table tennis: adding a touch of self-acceptance and screwball romance to your typical rag-tag team sport story. 

Kakegurui (2019) reimagines high school as a cutthroat gambling tournament where students ruthlessly wager fates and fortunes to reach the top of the school hierarchy.

4. Cross cultural exchange

The cultural understanding promoted by EIGASAI is not a one-way street: this year, the festival features films with a multi-cultural crew. The Tears of Malumpati (2019) is based on the true story of the collaboration between Japanese and Filipino communities to complete the Pandan Water Pipeline Project. 

This year’s opening film, Samurai Marathon (2019) is officially part of the cultural initiatives leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Helmed by British director Bernard Rose, and with music composed by Philip Glass, the jidaigeki stars Takeru Satoh as a lowly accountant trying to keep the peace during the Arrival of the Black Ships. Having a foreign director at the helm, Namiki notes, is evident in the treatment of the battle scenes and the story’s denouement.       

5. Auteurial intent

Movie fans who prefer a more in-depth exploration of a director’s vision can check out the Director’s Showcase selection, featuring three recent films by Hirokazu Kore-eda, including the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, which explores the dynamics of found family in the fringes of society. 

The breakout indie zombie hit One Cut of the Dead (2018), on the other hand, provides a fictional perspective on the lengths that a director would take to get the perfect shot. 

There will also be an opportunity to meet an up and coming director/screenwriter, Katsumi Nojiri, at the Philippine premiere of the comedy-drama Lying to Mom (2018), which takes place during the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Festival, an allied festival of EIGASAI since 2016.    

EIGASAI 2019 screening venues are scheduled in Metro Manila, Tacloban, Naga, Bacolod, Davao, Pangasinan and Cebu: Red Carpet Cinema, Shangri-La Plaza (July 3-14), Robinsons Place Tacloban (July 18-21), SM City Naga (July 18-21), SM City Bacolod (July 25-28),  Abreeza Mall Davao (August 1-4),  Cultural Center of the Philippines (August 2-11), SM City Rosales, Pangasinan (August 8-11), Cine Adarna, UPFI (August 14-17), Ayala Center Cebu (August 15-18), and Gateway Cineplex, Cubao (August 22-25). For detailed synopsis and schedules, follow the official EIGASAI Facebook page: @EIGASAIPH