The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 at HOME

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Book now

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024/ Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema

HOME Manchester, Manchester
12 February-6 March 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Do Unto Others
Image ©2023 “Do Unto Others” Film Partners
Book now

The Japan Foundation’s Touring Film Programme returns to HOME this February with a new set of films exploring the idea of memory. Subtitled “Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema”, the season features a selection of brand new titles which delve into this most mercurial subject matter, from an array of Japanese filmmakers, each approaching memory with their own perspective.

Starting on Monday 12 February, the programme starts with a screening of shocking crime drama Do Unto Others, accompanied by a Q&A with director Tetsu Maeda. Opening with a pair of murders in a care facility, the film follows a prosecutor who pursues one of the centres dedicated caregivers, who soon admits to scores of murders over the course of his employment. Along the way it raises questions about the breakdown of Japan’s care system, and the future of life in an ageing society.

The tone couldn’t be more different from Takebayashi Ryo’s comedic time loop caper Mondays: See You ‘This’ Week! (Wed 28 Feb), in which colleagues in an office realise they are living the same week over an over. Other highlights include Kanazawa Tomoki’s 1986-set Sabakan (Sat 2 March), compared in the programme notes to Stand By Me as it follows a pair of boys who embark on a summertime adventure in search of a pod of dolphins.

We’re also intrigued by the sound of Thousand and One Nights (Mon 26 Feb) from former documentary filmmaker Kubota Nao, which charts the meeting of two women who have been left behind by the mysterious disappearances of their husbands. There are seven films showing in total, allowing audiences a chance to immerse themselves in the breadth of contemporary Japanese cinema, and discover the ways in which memory is reflected within.

What's on at HOME Manchester

Two young women dance in a nightclub, smiling next to each other.
CinemaManchester
The Last Days of Disco + Q&A at HOME

Director Whit Stillman presents a 35mm screenings of one of the best films of the nineties, as a group of twenty-somethings navigate The Last Days of Disco.

From £7.95

Where to go near The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 at HOME

Manchester
Restaurant
Indian Tiffin Room, Manchester

Indian Tiffin Room is a restaurant specialising in Indian street food, with branches in Cheadle and Manchester. This is the information for the Manchester venue.

The Ritz Manchester live music venue
Manchester
Music venue
The Ritz

The Ritz was originally a dance hall, built in 1928, has hosted The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Smiths and is still going strong as a gig venue now.

Homeground
Manchester
Event venue
Homeground

Homeground is HOME’s brand new outdoor venue, providing an open-air space for theatre, food, film, music, comedy and more.

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Burgess Cafe Bar
at IABF

Small but perfectly-formed café – which also serves as the in-house bookstore, stocking all manner of Burgess-related works, along with recordings of his music. It’s a welcoming space, with huge glass windows making for a bright, welcoming atmosphere.

Rain Bar pub in Manchester
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Rain Bar

This huge three-floor pub, formerly a Victorian warehouse, then an umbrella factory (hence the name), has one of the city centre’s largest beer gardens. The two-tier terrace overlooks the Rochdale canal and what used to be the back of the Hacienda, providing an unusual, historic view of the city.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Briton’s Protection

Standing on the corner of a junction opposite The Bridgewater Hall, The Briton’s Protection is Manchester’s oldest pub. It has occupied the same spot since 1795, going under the equally

Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
Castlefield
Gallery
Castlefield Gallery

The influential Castlefield Gallery sits at the edge of Manchester’s exciting Castlefield district, an ideal home for thought-provoking contemporary art.

What's on: Cinema

Two young women dance in a nightclub, smiling next to each other.
CinemaManchester
The Last Days of Disco + Q&A at HOME

Director Whit Stillman presents a 35mm screenings of one of the best films of the nineties, as a group of twenty-somethings navigate The Last Days of Disco.

From £7.95
CinemaManchester
YANK at Cultplex

Thirteen movies to get to know the United States of America. Cultplex presents a season of film exploring America through its own lens.

From £7.50

Culture Guides

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.