THEN SUMMER CAME (Japan, 2008)

WORLD PREMIERE

118 minutes, 35mm, in Japanese with English subtitles
Directed by: Ryo Iwamatsu
Starring: Joe Odagiri, Yoshio Harada, Kumiko Aso, Kaoru Kobayashi 

Note: "Buy Tickets" links will take you to the IFC Center website (for shows at IFC Center) and to Japan Society website (for shows at Japan Society). Tickets for each venue must be purchased separately

The NYAFF is proud to present the long-overdue return to feature filmmaking of one of Japan’s most acclaimed playwrights and theater directors, Ryo Iwamatsu, who has written and directed this highly-anticipated film about two single men stuck in a deep rut: a father (legendary actor and ex-samurai film star, Yoshio Harada) and his son (Joe Odagiri, Japan’s answer to Johnny Depp and one of the country's top box office draws). With the son’s wedding coming up, their prickly relationship keeps getting thornier until it finally erupts, in this slyly funny dissection of the fragile male psyche. Prior to the film's July 19th opening in Japan, we will be presenting its World Premiere as the opening night film of the New York Asian Film Festival, with an introduction by director Ryo Iwamatsu, who will also participate in a post-film Q&A.

THEN SUMMER CAME tells the story of Tamio Kanzaki (Odagiri), stuck living with his dad far too far into his late 20’s. The two bicker over everything, from whether brand new shoes look sad to whether a woman has too much make-up on. It’s a habit formed from long years together, ever since the only woman in their lives (Tamio's mom, Nobuo's wife) passed away. The two couldn't be a more mismatched couple: Nobuo is gruff and outgoing, carrying on a secret romance with a co-worker, but Tamio is as prim and proper as grandma in church. Nobuo has set his son up on a series of blind dates, with the aim of eventually finding him a wife, and they’ve always ended within nanoseconds. But when he’s set up with Hitomi (Kumiko Aso, from CASSHERN and ZEBRAMAN), she announces that she’s ready for marriage on the first date. Father and son are thrilled, and the planning begins, but the closer the wedding comes, and the messier everything gets, the more Tamio wonders if he’s made a massive mistake.

DIRECTOR IWAMATSU RYO

Director Iwamatsu collaborated on a feature film with acclaimed director Masayuki Suo (SHALL WE DANCE?) more than a decade ago. Since then he's established a career as one of the most well-known, award-winning theatrical writer/directors in Japan, and that experience is clearly evident here, as Harada and Odagiri's carefully-nuanced performances mesh as naturally as if they’d been performing these roles together for years. The supporting cast are mostly unfamiliar faces who perfectly capture the hell of small town life where your neighbors may be friendly, but they still want to know what's going on behind your closed doors. With careful attention to the complex character relationships and a keen ear for authentic family dialogue—the kind where "I love you" can sound like a threat—Iwamatsu's screenplay is a screwy take on THE GRADUATE and a magical realist look at the way the ghosts of our loved ones may roam among us and the bonds of family can even conquer death.