On Friday, Sept. 29, Velaslavasay Panorama, 1122 W. 24th St,, Los Angeles, presents a screening of “The Last Passenger,” a movie by New York-based Japanese independent filmmaker Takeshi Horie, shot entirely in Miyagi Prefecture.
With a live sidewalk performance by Bentenya at 6:30 p.m., the film starts 7:30 p.m. with an introduction by the director.
Born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Horie has been working as a director/cinematographer/editor for numerous music videos and promotional videos in the U.S. and has received multiple international video awards. “The Last Passenger,” his most recent film, has won awards in U.S. and European film festivals, including “Best Indie Feature ” at the 2023 Cannes World Film Festival.
From Nagoya, Bentenya is an all-female group that performs chindonya, an old-fashioned style of advertisement by street musicians.
The event includes a post-screening reception in the gardens of Velaslavasay Panorama. Tickets are $16 general, $14 for members. For more information: https://panoramaonview.org/events/last-passenger-2023
Director’s statement: “On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami hit our beautiful hometown. Unfortunately, it destroyed many towns in the coastal area in the northeastern part of Japan, and claimed almost 16,000 lives. Many people’s lives were changed forever on that fateful day.
“We appreciate all the kindness and love sent from all over the world during that time. Without the support, we would not have been able to recover this much from the devastating loss of families, friends, and homes.
“It is almost 12 years since then. People moved on, and the disaster became old news to other people now. So I thought I need to make something to remember the day … in order to make something to remember it again and hopefully something to talk about for the future.”
In the movie, Endo, a taxi driver, has been waiting for his daughter since she left to take a college exam in Tokyo on the day of the earthquake. One late night, he picks up several customers, including a mother with a young girl and another girl about the same age as his daughter. They all ask him to take them to Seaside town. What will they find there?
The cast includes Karen Iwata, an actress and a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. Her recent credits include the NHK drama “Akahige 2” and the stage play “Futako Tamagawa No Koi.”
The film’s score is by Atsushi Toya Tokuya, a composer, arranger, keyboardist and producer based in New York City. He has worked with world-renowned singers including Ben E. King, Maxine Brown and Dee Dee Sharp, and has produced albums, concerts, television commercials, and music for theater. He is also working on a musical, “The Gravity of Love,” as composer and producer.
The film includes songs performed by three singers from Miyagi: “Series of Miracles” by Choco Yoshioka, “Save Your Soul” by Yuya Endo, and Alfred Bachelet’s “Chère Nuit” by soprano Manami Aoki.
“The Last Passenger” has won awards at the San Diego Art Film Fest, Venice Art & Film Festival, International Manhattan Film Awards, Montreal Independent Film Festival, València Indie Film Festival, New York City Independent Film Festival, Boden International Film Festival, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, and Nashville Independent Filmmakers Festival. It is an official selection of the New Jersey Film Festival and Global Nonviolent Festival.