Actor: Miyata Toshiya

BEM: BECOME HUMAN

Two years have passed since Bem, Bela, and Belo disappeared. Bem is now living the life of his dreams with a wife and kids. Except he has a new name and no memory of his humanoid monster past. Is this really domestic bliss or something sinister?

Tsugaru Lacquer Girl

Keiko Tsuruoka’s film is at once traditional and contemporary: it gently mixes present-day gender and sexuality politics with the old-fashioned Japanese domestic drama. Traditional lacquerwork kitchenware is the Aoki family’s legacy, handed down to patriarch Seishiro (Kaoru Kobayashi) by his now-ailing father (Masayuki Suzuki). Seishiro expects to pass it in turn to his son Yu (Ryota Bando), but Yu has no interest in the craft—quite unlike daughter Miyako (Mayu Hotta), who loves it dearly. The stage is set for conflict, as established cultural traditions collide with modern mores…