2023 Japanese Film Festival (Chongqing) Japanese Aesthetics of Everyday Life in Films

By Liu Dingrui

The premiere ceremony of the 2023 Japanese Film Festival （Chongqing） was held on April 13 at the CGV Cinema of the Raffles City Chongqing， its second stop after Beijing in March. The Consulate-General of Japan in Chongqing supported the film festival and aided in organizing the premiere ceremony. Attendees included representatives from the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal Peoples Government， the Publicity Department of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee， and relevant departments of Yuzhong District， along with film enthusiasts.

“On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship， it is a great pleasure to hold the Japanese Film Festival in Chongqing， an event that holds great significance for promoting cultural exchanges between China and Japan，” said Takada Mari， Consul-General of Japan in Chongqing， in her speech. She also noted that， from different perspectives， the Japanese Film Festival portrays real-life scenarios from different time periods in Japan， providing a glimpse into the realities of modern society in this country. She hopes that this event will enable more Chongqing citizens to learn about Japanese films and foster further cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Japan.

The festival features ten selected Japanese films， including 100 Yen Love， Little Forest： Summer/Autumn， Little Forest： Winter/Spring， Memories of Matsuko， All Around Us， Chronicle of My Mother， After the Storm， and Happy Hour.

Japanese films， also known as Kaiseki art， exhibit a diverse array of themes， beautiful and intricate techniques， and the ability to reveal the depth of human nature with subtle details， enlightening insights into the essence of life and leaving deep impressions on the audience. After the premiere ceremony， the film After the Storm was screened. By telling simple and ordinary stories， director Hirokazu Kore-eda left the audience ruminating on the beauty and cruelty of life.

Photo/Consulate-General of Japan in Chongqing

Translation/Xiong Lingsong and Cheng Changyao