The Japan Foundation Los Angeles, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles, will present a double feature on Wednesday, Nov. 27, starting at 7 p.m.
“Gon, the Little Fox” (2019, 28 minutes), directed by Takeshi Yashiro
This stop-motion animated short film is one of the contenders for 2019 Academy Award. Original story from Nankichi Niimi’s masterpiece children’s story.
When Gon, a playful orphaned fox, finds that young Hyoju has lost his mother, he tries to comfort him and make amends for his own earlier mischief by secretly bringing small gifts to the boy every day. But Hyoju doesn’t realize who is behind the anonymous gifts, and the two are headed for a heartbreaking climax.
“Orphans’ Blues” (2018, 89 minutes), directed by Riho Kudo
Winner of Pia Film Festival’s 2018 Grand Prize, director Kudo’s debut is an arthouse drama marked by beautifully expressive cinematography and daring narrative experimentation.
Suffering from undiagnosed memory loss, Emma (Yukino Murakami) comes upon an elephant drawing by a childhood orphanage friend named Yang and goes off in search of him. Her wayward journey leads her to a group of outsiders whose lives are all revealed to be traumatically linked to the same missing person, including his brother Van (Takuro Kawakami). As she unlocks troubling secrets in the sweltering countryside, Emma’s memory simultaneously fades and her experiences become increasingly surreal.
JFLA provides high-quality Japanese film screenings every second and fourth Wednesday. Free; reservation not required. Seating first-come, first-served. For more informtion, call (323) 761-7510 or visit www.jflalc.org.