今週[こんしゅう]の木曜日[もくようび]、日本[にほん]映画[えいが]を上映[じょうえい]します。いつものように、入場料[にゅうじょうりょう]無料[むりょう] (= admission free)です。英語[えいご]の字幕[じまく] (= sub-titles)もついています。
Thursday 9 August
7pm | L3 | Free Admission
Acacia Walk
90min | 2000 | PG
Director: Joji Matsuoka
Cast: Yui Natsukawa, Misako Watanage, Tetta Sugimoto
I have always wanted you to hold my hand
Editor Miwako Kijima hears from her aunt about her mother’s illness. The mother, Kanako worked as a teacher, and raise Miwako as a single parent. Life was hard for Kanako, and she was cruel to Miwako. Her mother became very ill, which surprise Miwako as she has not contacted her mother since starting university. Miwako is told that her mother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, and she reluctantly accepts to go back and live with her.
The film touches the core of how difficult it must be for an adult to see a parent mentally deteriorate to the level of a child. Acacia Walk is at turns harrowing and touching. Matsuoka, aided by the terrific performances of Natsukawa and Watanabe, refuses to let his characters become one-dimensional, creating a film which is incredibly poignant and which carries a great emotional richness.
Presented by Consulate-General of Japan, The University of Waikato and The Japan Foundation.