Tsumugu

In the organizer's words:

つむぐもの Tsumugu mono

Director: INUDÔ Kazutoshi
2016, 109 minutes, original language, Blu-ray

The film tells the touching story of two very different people who, despite their different nationalities, generations and genders, "spin"(tsumugu) a connection to each other.

Yeona, an unemployed Korean woman, travels to the Japanese prefecture of Fukui for a working vacation. She is supposed to help the elderly craftsman Takeo with the traditional production of echizen washi, the famous Japanese paper. But the withdrawn and prejudiced widower falls ill with a brain tumor and Yeona is asked to look after him. Despite her lack of language skills and initial arguments, the strong-willed young woman is determined to get on with the grumpy man and after a while, traces of change can be seen in Takeo's behavior.

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