Not wanting to spoil anyone’s Valentine’s Day, the Japan Society scheduled its 6th Globus Film Series titled Love Will Tear Us Apart from March 2 to March 18, 2012.
What do you get?
“Bad romance, blind love, amour fou! This spring, we screen a series of twisted, obsessive, heart-blazing love stories from Japan and Korea, because, after all, it takes two to tango and at least two to tumble. The 20+ film lineup, mostly from the past decade, includes the U.S. premiere of Shinya Tsukamoto’s latest film, KOTOKO, and the world premiere of Koji Wakamatsu’s Petrel Hotel Blue, as well as Hirokazu Kore’eda’s Air Doll, Nagisa Oshima’s arch-classic In the Realm of the Senses, Yukio Ninagawa’s Snakes and Earrings, Lee Sang-il’s Villain, Lee Chang-dong’s Oasis, and Kim Ki-duk’s Bad Guy, among other twisted tales. The complex relationship between Korea and Japan provides a fascinating coupling of national cinematic identities. Although both Japanese and Korean films and filmmakers demonstrate their own unique preoccupations, narrative traditions, structures and cultural sensibilities, a considerable amount of shared ground leads directly to unique avenues of artistic collaboration (Korean actress Bae Doo-Na and director Hirokazu Kore’eda, Kim Ki-duk and Joe Odagiri), ultimately revealing a similar visual grammar and inclination towards the emotional violence that flows beneath the quiet surface of societal restraints.”
Non Japanese entries include Vegetarian (South Korea):
“Ominous dreams haunt and drive a young woman to abolish meat from her diet and her household, and even reject her husband, who smells of meat. Her family mistakes her sudden fixation for insolence, and she soon grows despondent, alienating herself from everyone. Her sister tries to reach her, but only her brother-in-law, an artist, manages to penetrate her withdrawn state. Her mysterious trauma ignites creativity and desire in him, and they collaborate passionately on beautiful body-painting art–drawing on her psychological pain but also providing the catalyst for a mystical sexual transformation.”
Visions of love and film obsessions on menu of Tokyo Thursdays # 223
Previously: Kibo celebrates Food and Spirit of People of Tohoku One Year After the Earthquake
(* Image from ‘Vegetarian’ above from Japan Society event pages)