Despite the rainy weather in April that caused the cancellation of the outdoor cinema, the People’s Cinema – Opening-air Screening in May shall continue with heartwarming films about family. in collaboration with MOViE MOViE (nowTV ch116), we will present Like Father, Like Son, a Jury Prize winner at Cannes by Japanese New Wave director Kore-eda Hirokazu.

From documentary to drama, Kore-eda’s films always show great concern for humanity, often putting the Japanese family under focus, bringing them to live with some rich and nuancedly depicted emotions. Many of his films evoke our thoughts on love and affection, such as Nobody Knows, I Wish, Our Little Sister, which are all acclaimed.

Like Father, Like Son starts with a mistake by the hospital of swapping the babies of two families. Popular singer Masaharu Fukuyama play the father role for the first time, collaborating with cross-disciplinary artist Lily Franky who takes the role of another father with contrasting fatherhoods - one strict and one affectionate. The two mothers, played by Machiko Ono and Yoko Maki, bring out the bittersweet in families when they mediate between father and son.

Half will also be screened at the occasion. Animation Category Silver Award winner of the 18th ifva, Half offers a journey of petite romance in French style. Enjoy a great night of moving images under the starry sky with Victoria Harbour as the backdrop!

Free Admission. You are welcome to bring your own mats.

Synopsis

Like Father, Like Son

Kore-eda Hirokazu

2013 / Col / 120’/ In Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles

Ryota (Fukuyama Masaharu) has earned everything he has by his hard work, and believes nothing can stop him from pursuing his perfect life as a winner. Then one day, he and his wife, Midori (Ono Michiko), get an unexpected phone call from the hospital. Their 6-year-old son, Keita (Ninomiya Keita), is not “their” son – the hospital gave them the wrong baby.

His natural son, Ryusei (Shogen Hwang), was raised by Yudai Saiki (Lily Franky) and his wife, and is quite the opposite to Keita whom Ryota is most proud of. This further complicates Ryota’s dilemma when he faces an unexpected wall in life for the first time. 

Half

Lai Xueyi, Lin Hongrui

2012 / Col / 3’05” / No dialogue and subtitles

This is a story of Mr Eye running into Miss Eye in a lonely night.