Aristocrats

In the organizer's words:

あのこは貴族 Ano ko wa kizoku

Director: SODE Yukiko
2021, 124 minutes, original language, Blu-ray

The drama is based on the sequel novel of the same name by Yamauchi Mariko, which was published in 2015/16. In a multi-layered way, it explores the question of whether happiness feels different for women from different social classes.

20-year-old Hanako grew up in a privileged Tokyo family and sees it as her duty to marry a man of high social status. After various meetings with potential marriage candidates, she finally seems to have found her ideal partner in the lawyer Kôichirô. But her luck is deceptive, because her chosen one is seeing another woman. This woman, Miki, comes from a less affluent family in the countryside and is trying to build a new life for herself in Tokyo. The paths of the women, who live in different circumstances, soon cross.

Film series
Sources of strength in life
New additions to the film library of the Japanese Cultural Institute

Where do people find strength when they hit rock bottom or suffer setbacks? The films from the Cultural Institute's film library show in a variety of ways what possibilities there can be to gain new perspectives and find a way out of difficult situations.

The first film is a drama about a seemingly intact family whose structure is disrupted by the mother's illness(Bokutachi no kazoku). A young physiotherapist also develops new perspectives as a result of his father's illness(Shiori).

However, it is not just about external wounds, but also internal ones. Two young girls find new self-confidence by playing the drums(Ai ni hibike) and two adult women are confronted with the question of how happiness and money are connected during a love affair(Ano ko wa kizoku). Understanding each other helps to overcome differences, as the stories about a young Korean woman(Tsumugu) and a tofu store owner(Takano tôfu ten no haru) show.

Fun entertainment is also provided, as a cat turns out to be a ninja in an action comedy in the style of a jidaigeki (historical film) and the employees in an office are trapped in a time loop(MONDAYS). Finally, a documentary provides rare insights into Japan's national sport(Sumôdô).

Price information:

Admission free