銀平町シネマブルース (Ginpei-cho Cinema Blues)

Japan | 2022 | 99' | JOJO Hideo | KOIDE Keisuke, FUKIKOSHI Mitsuru, UNO Shohei, FUJIWARA Sakura

KONDO (KOIDE Keisuke) is a young man who has just returned, penniless, to his hometown of Ginpei-cho. One day, a chance encounter with rough-sleeping movie enthusiast SATO (UNO Shohei) prompts KONDO to take up a part-time job at the Ginpei Scala Theatre, a small independent cinema on the verge of closure managed by KAJIWARA (FUKIKOSHI Mitsuru). As KONDO learns more about his co-workers, along with the regulars that gather at the cinema, he is able to begin confronting and reflecting on his own past.

Under the skilful direction of JOJO Hideo, prolific filmmaker and subject of a retrospective at the 2023 Tokyo International Film Festival, KONDO’s interactions with this ragtag bunch of customers and staff breathe life into this delightful tragicomedy, exploring self-discovery, human connection, and resilience along the way. The film also provides insight into a growing problem in Japan through its focus on an independent cinema in crisis, a sight undoubtedly very familiar to Japanese moviegoers as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.