Pictures at an Election

“Pictures at an Election” (the title refers to Mussorgsky’s suite “Pictures at an Exhibition” featuring at the beginning of the film) is a 68 min. documentary that covers the campaigns of those candidates who tried to win one of the five seats in Tokyo during the Upper House election in 2007. It shows Japan’s electoral machinery in full steam and focuses on the question of how Japanese candidates try to appeal to voters. The documentary depicts different strategies and techniques, and presents a lively picture of political culture in Japan.

Grandson of a Monster

The late Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving prime minister of all time, holding office for 2,822 consecutive days. While his hawkish foreign policy and "Abenomics" economic policies won him support, he also attracted public attention for his controversial words, actions and scandals. Nobusuke Kishi, a politician and the maternal grandfather of former Prime Minister Abe, was nicknamed the "Monster of the Showa Era" for his ability to manipulate the political and business worlds by walking the fronts and backs of society. The film explores the mysteries of his blood and upbringing that led him to adopt an extremely "forward-looking" political stance in order to realize his ambitions, which were imprinted in his childhood mind as his "grandfather's teachings". With black humor and satirical picture books, the film unravels who former Prime Minister Abe was and what he left behind for this country.

Campaign

Can a candidate with no political experience and no charisma win an election if he is backed by the political giant Prime Minister Koizumi and his Liberal Democratic Party? This cinema-verite documentary closely follows a heated election campaign in Kawasaki, Japan, revealing the true nature of "democracy."

Facing to the Clouds

A rookie newspaper journalist, Takema Sakaki, has a strong sense of justice. In the Diet Building he gets acquainted with a library worker, Reiko Nakafuji. Reiko's father was a member of the Diet who was assassinated six years ago. Through Reiko, Takema joins Tsūkai-kai, a group of young people who respect her late father's political ideas. With the assistance of Tsukai-kai, Takema eventually uncovers the political scandal related to postwar compensation which led to the murder of Reiko's father.

The Fixer

Political fixer Homei Yamaoka's misdeeds come to light, throwing Japanese politics into deadly confusion. But he's not going down without a fight.

Organized Violence II

Taira Clan Saga

Japan, 1137. The Taira family, a samurai clan, becomes involved in the disputes between Emperor Toba and the monks of Mount Hiei.

The Sunday Runoff

A comedy about how the world of politics really works! Tsutomu is a secretary for a member of the Japanese Parliament. After the latter suffers a heart attack, his daughter Yumi is chosen to fill his place in the next election because she seems easy to control. However, her unpredictable behavior soon throws the campaign out of control.

Beast Alley

Desperate to escape her grueling life caring for her paralyzed husband, Tamiko murders him and burns down their home to start anew. She is soon entangled in the dark web of an influential, elderly power broker, becoming his mistress and a pawn in his political schemes. As she descends further into a downward spiral of moral decay, Tamiko realizes that the freedom she sought is merely a new form of entrapment.

Bridge to the Sun

Tells the true story of American Gwen Terasaki, who falls in love with, then marries a Japanese diplomat. When World War II breaks out, they encounter animosity and trouble from both sides.

The Yoshida School

Coinciding with the LDP presidential election of the entire national public, a masterpiece depicting the reverse side of Showa political history released, superimposed cast, a group image of real politicians centered on Shigeru Yoshida and political history after the war.

Tales of a Golden Geisha

Nayoko, a good-hearted geisha, brings luck to the men she sleeps with, even though most are scoundrels who don’t deserve it.

Suit Yourself or Shoot Yourself!! The Hero

Yuji and Kosaku become involved with a brother and sister who want to drive a local yakuza gang member out of their neighborhood.

The Politicians

Who will be the next prime minister? As two candidates start to compete, political game and brutal murder ensue. And the existence of secret love letters changes the situation.

Solar Eclipse

When bribe money from a rigged election funnels into a dam construction project, collusion, lust, greed and even murder are on the ballot.

We Are Your Grandfather

A family of British descent settled in the Russian countryside is investigating its grandfather's mysterious death. One small step for men, women, children, dogs, and pigs - one giant leap for humanity.

The Memory of Water

The secretive rules of nature spread out to be extraordinary beauty. Water is a lifeform that remembers and reflects everything. Following the nature of this water and the mysterious record of the ecosystem leads to the wonderful four seaons of the Bongha Village and the late Roh Moo-hyun's ambitious visions. What is the future he dreamt of back in his home, carrying out biological agricultural technology?

Secrets of Middle-Earth: Inside Tolkien's The Hobbit

Explores Tolkien's classic fantasy/adventure novel The Hobbit and examines the story behind its conception.

Times Like Those: Foo Fighters 25th Anniversary

Maybe the 25th anniversary year didn't go *quite* as planned but we were still able to come together for a look back at the last 25 years.

The Gift of Indignation

On January 2, 2019, Louis Tobback said goodbye to his mayorship of Leuven after 24 years. Time to look back on a long career that is anything but limited to Leuven. A career that sometimes feels like a thriller, sometimes as a drama, but is especially permeated by a big outrage for everything that goes wrong in our society. Journalists, political friends, opponents and other acquaintances look back on a political career that has been decisive for Belgiums post-war history.