New from Japan: Get to Know Hirobumi Watanabe

Despite festival awards and praise from critics, independent filmmaker Hirobumi Watanabe has managed to remain below the radar. A partial retrospective of his work was the surprise hit of the streaming Udine Far East Film Festival this year. We are proud to present three of his most charming films, followed by a live Q&A with Watanabe and film critic Mark Schilling, who programmed the Udine retrospective.

Party 'Round the Globe

Available worldwide from September 25–October 9

Like Hirobumi Watanabe’s other films, the plot of Party ‘Round the Globe is remarkably simple: two Beatlemaniacs drive to Tokyo to see a Paul McCartney concert. The guys in question are Honda (Gaku Imamura), a man so taciturn that he doesn’t utter a word during the entire film, partly because his companion and coworker Hirayama (Watanabe himself) never shuts up. The film alternates between Hirayama’s hilarious fanboy monologuing in the car and scenes of Honda’s life leading up to the journey, which provide hints as to why he’s so quiet. Among this film’s many charms is a dream sequence from the mind of Honda’s dog, in which he remembers happier times when he and his master were still with Honda’s wife and daughter. How can you resist that? Watanabe’s I’m Really Good and Life Finds a Way are also streaming in our program. (Dir.: Hirobumi Watanabe, Japan, 2018, 117 min., Japanese with English subtitles)

Stream it here: https://watch.eventive.org/newfromjapan 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo6rZzWJwGY

Learn more about Hirobumi Watanabe here: https://www.fareastfilm.com/eng/essays/watanabe-hirobumi-poeta-comico-del-quotidiano/?IDLYT=7803

Hirobumi and Yuji Watanabe discuss Party ‘Round the Globe 

Stream it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78B199cVz_E 

HIrobumi Watanabe and his brother Yuji, who composes the music for his films, introduce Party ‘Round the Globe in an interview conducted by film critic Mark Schilling and Sabrina Baracetti, president of the Udine Far East Film Festival. PLEASE NOTE: the interview is in Japanese, Italian and English and is not subtitled.