Films by Language

Japanese

2046

Wong Kar-wai

The director and star of In the Mood for Love return to 60s Hong Kong in this sumptuous romantic sequel. “It's wonderful – a rich, glamorous and acutely human work with superb performances by Leung and the four gorgeous actresses.” — Richard Corliss, Time

Appleseed

Appurushido

Aramaki Shinji

Blonde action babe Deunan separates the robots from the bioroids in this spectacular exhibition of conventional anime character design amalgamated with state-of-the-art CG effects. “Eye-goggling.” — Screendaily

Café Lumière

Kohi jikou

Hou Hsiao-hsien

The great Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien has made a Japanese family drama to celebrate the centenary of the great Japanese director Ozu Yasujiro. “It is a film about happiness: something you can not see but something that Hou makes poetic, empowering and almost palpable.” — Financial Times

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Oshii Mamoru

Vast and spectacular, this dazzling anime is also rife with speculation about the meaning of cyberlife. Not for lightweights!

Godzilla Final Wars

Gojira fainaru uozu

Kitamura Ryuhei

Japan’s answer to Kong in an insanely action packed monster miasma, overflowing with super warriors, cool weapons, snazzy aircraft and more destruction than the last three Godzilla films combined.

Howl's Moving Castle

Hauru no ugoku shiro

Miyazaki Hayao

This year’s centrepiece is a beauty, thanks to animation genius and long-time Film Festival hero, Miyazaki Hayao. We proudly present the New Zealand premiere screenings of his latest amazing phantasmagoria. “An entertainment full of wonder and charm.” — Variety

Late Bloomer

Osoi-hito

Shibata Go

This belligerent Japanese indie about the multi-handicapped Sumida, who develops a crush on his new teenage caregiver, offers a satisfying lack of anything patronisingly feel-good or life-affirming.

Mana - Beyond Belief

Roger Manley

From the Shroud of Turin to Graceland, this superbly filmed world tour of venerated objects is like Koyannisqatsi without the bombast, exuding instead a gentle, inquisitive wit.

Steamboy

Otomo Katsuhiro

This long awaited anime extravaganza from the forces behind the epochal Akira takes place in a breathtaking vision of the future, as it might have been dreamt up in the Victorian heyday of steam power.

Three... Extremes

Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook, Miike Takashi

Japan’s Miike Takashi (Audition, Visitor Q), Korean Cannes winner Park Chan-wook (Old Boy) and Hong Kong’s Fruit Chan (Hollywood, Hong Kong) join forces to showcase their considerable skills in this creepy anthology triptych.

Tony Takitani

Ichikawa Jun

Elegantly stylised adaptation of celebrated Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s strange story about a solitary illustrator who tastes fulfilment with a woman who can never have too many clothes.