*May 2, 4 & 8, 2008*
Once again we are proud to support the "San Francisco International Film Festival":http://fest08.sffs.org/ by co-presenting the charming film, Glasses (_Megane_).
*About the film...*
The lapping of waves, the tart sweetness of shaved ice and the meditative pleasures of “twilighting” all await visitors to Naoko Ogigami’s Glasses, a Zen comedy that wryly observes a bespectacled teacher’s vacation at an eccentric island resort. When Taeko (Satomo Kobayashi) first checks into the Hamada Inn, she can only surmise she’s arrived somewhere peculiar. The owner (Ken Mitsuishi) intentionally draws bad maps when giving directions to his beachside getaway because he likes the lack of business. Fellow guest and glasses-wearer Sakura (Masako Motai) leads people through daily “merci exercises” and takes to kneeling at Taeko’s bedside every morning to greet her when she wakes. Ogigami scrutinizes yet doesn’t quite adopt Taeko’s inquisitive if reserved reaction to her idiosyncratic surroundings. The stark soundtrack, meanwhile, which sets a recurring mandolin melody next to a variety of ambient sounds, suggests a change on the horizon, as Ogigami exploits the island setting to explore a longing for idyllic escape from the traps and trappings of modern urban society. Like her earlier hit, Seagull Diner (which also starred Kobayashi and Motai), Glasses has a healthy appetite—even while mining the awkwardness of a lobster dinner, it triggers the taste buds, and the sensory effect runs deep. Taking in her human landscape with as much relish—including the memorable Haruna (the winsome Mikako Ichikawa), another Hamada Inn regular who defies her initial appearance—Ogigami even manages an inventive take on the musical dance number. Ultimately, like her protagonist, she displays a nascent gift for weaving the air.
_—Johnny Ray Huston_
West Coast Premiere. Sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
*SHOWTIMES*
Fri, May 2 / 3:30 / Clay
Sun, May 4 / 6:00 / Kabuki
Thu, May 8 / 5:00 / Kabuki
For more information about the film and the festival, please "click here":http://fest08.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=34
<img src='http://static2.jadedpixel.com/s/files/1/0002/1183/files/050208_megane2.jpg' alt='' /><br><Br><br>
<p><strong>May 2, 4 & 8, 2008</strong></p>
<p>Once again we are proud to support the <a href="http://fest08.sffs.org/">San Francisco International Film Festival</a> by co-presenting the charming film, Glasses (<em>Megane</em>).</p>
<p><strong>About the film…</strong><br />The lapping of waves, the tart sweetness of shaved ice and the meditative pleasures of “twilighting” all await visitors to Naoko Ogigami’s Glasses, a Zen comedy that wryly observes a bespectacled teacher’s vacation at an eccentric island resort. When Taeko (Satomo Kobayashi) first checks into the Hamada Inn, she can only surmise she’s arrived somewhere peculiar. The owner (Ken Mitsuishi) intentionally draws bad maps when giving directions to his beachside getaway because he likes the lack of business. Fellow guest and glasses-wearer Sakura (Masako Motai) leads people through daily “merci exercises” and takes to kneeling at Taeko’s bedside every morning to greet her when she wakes. Ogigami scrutinizes yet doesn’t quite adopt Taeko’s inquisitive if reserved reaction to her idiosyncratic surroundings. The stark soundtrack, meanwhile, which sets a recurring mandolin melody next to a variety of ambient sounds, suggests a change on the horizon, as Ogigami exploits the island setting to explore a longing for idyllic escape from the traps and trappings of modern urban society. Like her earlier hit, Seagull Diner (which also starred Kobayashi and Motai), Glasses has a healthy appetite—even while mining the awkwardness of a lobster dinner, it triggers the taste buds, and the sensory effect runs deep. Taking in her human landscape with as much relish—including the memorable Haruna (the winsome Mikako Ichikawa), another Hamada Inn regular who defies her initial appearance—Ogigami even manages an inventive take on the musical dance number. Ultimately, like her protagonist, she displays a nascent gift for weaving the air.</p>
<p><em>—Johnny Ray Huston</em></p>
<p>West Coast Premiere. Sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.</p>
<p><strong>SHOWTIMES</strong><br />Fri, May 2 / 3:30 / Clay<br />Sun, May 4 / 6:00 / Kabuki<br />Thu, May 8 / 5:00 / Kabuki</p>
<p>For more information about the film and the festival, please <a href="http://fest08.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=34">click here</a></p>
<p><img src='http://static2.jadedpixel.com/s/files/1/0002/1183/files/050208_megane2.jpg' alt='' /><br><Br><br></p>2008-02-14T13:22:53-08:00megane1781262event2008-04-02T13:56:59-07:00Megane (Glasses)2008-04-02T14:11:41-07:00Japan Society of Northern Californiacomedy, festival, film, glasses, international, megane, movie, screening, sf, sfiff2008-02-14T13:22:53-08:00manual03808022shopifydeny0Default10.001781262Default2008-04-02T14:11:41-07:002008-02-14T13:22:53-08:003477762117812622008-04-02T14:11:41-07:00http://static.shopify.com/s/files/1/0002/1183/products/050208_megane.jpg?1258767899