The Shortest Distance Is Round: Rain and Soda(2020)

Taboo(ja)

Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a samurai compound where young warriors are trained in swordfighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering around a handsome young samurai named Sozaburo Kano. The school's stern master can choose to intervene, or to let Kano decide his own path.

Sex and Fury(ja)

Sex & Fury chronicles Ocho's exploits as she searches for her father's killers, each identified by unique tattoos on their backs (a deer, a boar, and a butterfly). Along the way, she also crosses paths with Shunosuke, a radical set on murdering prominent politician Kurokawa, and Christina, an American spy posing as a gambler.

Female Yakuza Tale(ja)

Ocho is accidentally captured by a drug trafficking cartel who use Chinese women to smuggle drugs into Japan by hiding it in their vaginas. She is tortured, and manages to escape, fighting both the male yakuzas and a gang of female thieves.

In the Realm of the Senses(ja)

A passionate telling of the story of Sada Abe, a woman whose affair with her master led to an obsessive and ultimately destructive sexual relationship.

Yes, No, or Maybe?(ja)

A polished newscaster hides behind a mask when he meets a gentle artist—but the lie complicates everything when feelings start to grow.

Fifty Shades Freed(en)

Believing they have left behind shadowy figures from their past, newlyweds Christian and Ana fully embrace an inextricable connection and shared life of luxury. But just as she steps into her role as Mrs. Grey and he relaxes into an unfamiliar stability, new threats could jeopardize their happy ending before it even begins.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41(ja)

After being used and betrayed by the detective she had fallen in love with, young Matsu is sent to a female prison full of sadistic guards and disobedient prisoners.

The Pillow Book(en)

Nagito has a fetish for calligraphy on the human body and meets her ideal soulmate Jerome, an English translator sent to Japan. However, once Nagiko's father's gay publisher rejoins the scene, the story is overtaken by treachery and bloodlust.

It Feels So Good(ja)

When it rains it pours. Kenji divorced his wife, lost his job and his old squeeze Naoko is getting married back home in the north of Japan, specifically in Akita. He returns there in order to attend her wedding. Naoko surprises him by proposing that they have sex again. The one night stand is the new beginning.

Call Boy(ja)

Ryo Morinaka is a university student and works part-time at a bar. He is bored with his daily life and exists in a state of torpor. One day, his friend Shinya Tajima brings the owner of a host bar over to the place where Ryo Morinaka works. Shizuka Mido is the owner of the host bar. Soon, Ryo Morinaka begins to work for Shizuka Mido at the members only host bar. He feels embarrassment initially, but he fulfills the desires of women and develops a sense of purpose.

Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima(ja)

Repeatedly beat to a pulp by gamblers, cops, and gangsters, lone wolf Shoji Yamanaka finally finds a home as a Muraoka family hitman and falls in love with boss Muraoka's niece. Meanwhile, the ambitions of mad dog Katsutoshi Otomo draws our series' hero, Shozo Hirono, and the other yakuza into a new round of bloodshed.

The Fugitive Kind(en)

Val Xavier, a drifter of obscure origins, arrives at a small town and gets a job in a store run by Lady Torrence. Her husband, Jabe M. Torrance, is dying of cancer. Val is pursued by Carol Cutere, the enigmatic local tramp-of-good-family.

The Man from Elysian Fields(en)

A failed novelist's inability to pay the bills strains relations with his wife and leads him to work at an escort service, where he becomes entwined with a wealthy woman whose husband is a successful writer.

Ninja Scroll(ja)

Jubei is a masterless ninja who travels the land alone, lending his services to those with gold—or a worthy cause. His fearsome abilities have served him well, but a plot to overthrow the government threatens to end his wandering ways—and possibly his life.

Gabriel's Inferno: Part II(en)

Professor Gabriel Emerson finally learns the truth about Julia Mitchell's identity, but his realization comes a moment too late. Julia is done waiting for the well-respected Dante specialist to remember her and wants nothing more to do with him. Can Gabriel win back her heart before she finds love in another's arms?

Rage(ja)

A man brutally murders a married couple and leaves the word “ikari” (“rage”) written with their blood. The killer undergoes plastic surgery and flees. At three different locations in Japan, a male stranger appears. People suspect that the stranger might be the murderer.

Battles Without Honor and Humanity(ja)

In the teeming black markets of postwar Japan, Shozo Hirono and his buddies find themselves in a new war between factious and ambitious yakuza.

The Duke of Burgundy(en)

Day in and day out, lovers Cynthia and Evelyn enact an elaborate sadomasochistic fantasy as mistress and maid. But as their ritual of domination and submission begins to turn stale, Cynthia yearns for something more conventional, while Evelyn tries to push their taboos even further.

Antiporno(ja)

Kyôko, a traumatized young Japanese girl, finds herself struggling with her self-confidence in her adult life. Growing up in a family without her mother and her sister, she constantly questions the rationale of sex and the notion of liberty in modern Japanese society.

The Outsider(en)

A former American G.I. joins a yakuza family after his release from prison in post-World War II Osaka.

A Guy Thing(en)

Paul Morse is a good guy. When his friends throw him a wild bachelor party, he just wants to keep his conscience clean -- which is why he's shocked when he wakes up in bed with a beautiful girl named Becky and can't remember the night before. Desperate to keep his fiancée, Karen, from finding out what may or may not be the truth, he tells her a teensy lie. Soon his lies are spiraling out of control and his life is a series of comical misunderstandings.

Martyrs(fr)

A young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child leads her and her best friend, also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.

Double Impact(en)

Jean Claude Van Damme plays a dual role as Alex and Chad, twins separated at the death of their parents. Chad is raised by a family retainer in Paris, Alex becomes a petty crook in Hong Kong. Seeing a picture of Alex, Chad rejoins him and convinces him that his rival in Hong Kong is also the man who killed their parents. Alex is suspicious of Chad, especially when it comes to his girlfriend.

Shinjuku Swan(ja)

Shiratori Tatsuhiko works as a scout for talent agency Burst in Kabukichō, Shinjuku's red light district, recruiting young girls for the adult entertainment industry. In a business where money means everything, Tatsuhiko finds himself in a constant struggle between rival scouts and the Yakuza.

Female Gym Coach: Jump and Straddle(ja)

It’s coming up to competition time for the pretty office girls of the Kara Cosmetics Company. Kei (Junko Asahina) and her co-workers are preparing their amateur rhythmic gymnastics team for an upcoming competition. In order to assist the sexy ladies, Aoki (Funasaku Sasairi) is brought in as their new coach. As the team wonders about the coach’s ability to perform both on and off the court, Kei’s relationship with him is revealed. Long ago, Aoki slept with Kei before a competition and she lost. Now, he’s worried it will happen again! Can the coach overcome his sexual issues and help Kei win this time?

Runaway(en)

In the near future, a police officer specializes in malfunctioning robots. When a robot turns out to have been programmed to kill, he begins to uncover a homicidal plot to create killer robots... and his son becomes a target.

Looking for Rohmer(fr)

The first homosexual love story themed movie to receive approval for theatrical release in China. The film follows the initial meeting of, and the subsequent secret relationship between Zhao Jie and Rohmer. They decide to travel to Tibet together. During their travels they are involved in an incident which leads to the death of a child. Although they are not responsible, they feel a lot of guilt. They quarrel about it and end up going separate ways. Later Zhao Jie learns that Rohmer has been in an accident on a glacier and, torn with remorse for not having helped him enough after the earlier incident, Zhao Jie goes to find him.

Guandong Heroine(zh)

A teenage girl during Japanese occupation of Northeast China joins a group of bandits to get revenge after her friend is brutally gang-raped by the invaders.

W.A.R.: Women Against Rape(en)

When a man dodges conviction after raping multiple women, his victims take justice into their own hands.

Negresco(de)

The wife of a jet-set millionaire takes a holiday in Berlin and poses for racy photographs. These are stolen, a man is killed, and she decamps to the French Riviera with a different photographer, who may also now be in danger.

Dreams Don't Make Noise When They Die(da)

It has hardly been seen before that a 83-year-old actor has starred in a Danish film, but it is the case here, where Kai Holm says goodbye to a long life in film and theater service. He plays an old peasant who on his deathbed is waiting for his son (Jon Bang Carlsen). In a few days he relives the village life, he comes from, and which was marked by a hard and authoritarian upbringing. He is at his father's deathbed despair because it is still impossible to make contact, and in a crisis situation, he recognizes his father's brutality in itself. The film draws a bitter picture of human relationships where dreams while they die, degenerates into power relations.

Ben Tumbling(en)

A stuntman who dabbles as a petty thief for corrupt policemen decides to quit. His bosses do not let him go but, instead, he is tortured. His consistent brushes with the law earn him a prize on his head and attention from a daily.

Love 80(de)

Times have changed! Women are no longer off with the unimaginativeness of men. Sex machines are just as frowned upon as limp softies. Sex is no longer talked about behind closed doors.

E-Cup Real Action Take Two: Rich & Ripe(ja)

A melodrama that emotionally depicts a broken couple with sensual scenes. This is the first film by director Toshiki Sato and screenwriter Masahiro Kobayashi, who have produced a number of excellent works. The film painstakingly depicts the heartbreaking endings of a couple who are trapped in the past and gradually falling out of love, and includes a strong scene of sexual passion. Yuko (Satsuki Fuji), who is troubled by her marital relationship, is having an affair with Akiyama (Kikujiro Honda). Fumio (Toru Nakane), who is unable to handle his beloved wife, uses a duplicate key found in an old jacket to sneak into the room where Yuko used to live before their marriage.

Don't let it bring you down(ja)

A member of the Air Self-Defense Force learns of a crucial national secret: that conscription will be introduced to Japan. Pursued by the state, the man and his wife attempt to flee to her parents' home, but along the way they meet a carefree young man who loves movies. Meanwhile, back in his rural hometown, his father-in-law is in critical condition, but his sister-in-law neglects to care for him and instead engages in phone sex with him.

TERMA(it)

Hard to Kill(en)

Mason Storm, a 'go it alone' cop, is gunned down at home. The intruders kill his wife, and think they've killed both Mason and his son too. Mason is secretly taken to a hospital where he spends several years in a coma. His son meanwhile is growing up thinking his father is dead. When Mason wakes up, everyone is in danger - himself, his son, his best friend, his nurse - but most of all those who arranged for his death

Soaking Wet: Touching All Over the Body(ja)

Kunio had his first sexual encounter with Yoko in a hotel. Since then, he couldn't forget her and called the magazine company where she worked many times, but he couldn't get in touch with her. She was holed up in a hotel because Tamai, a writer, was behind on his manuscript. They finally arranged to meet and waited at a cafe bar in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, but Kabukicho held many bitter memories for him. A few years ago, he was unable to do anything while Yumiko, whom he had liked at the time, was being violated in front of him...

Tattoo(de)

Marc Schrader, a rookie cop caught red-handed with drugs in a police raid of an illegal rave, joins a homicide investigation conducted by Chief Inspector Minks. The victim is a naked young woman with the skin stripped off her back, killed as she staggered into traffic. As Schrader and Minks investigate the murder, the case is complicated by a finger found in the stomach of the victim. Forensic examination proves the finger belongs to Nobert Günzel, who was previously convicted of rape and assault. The police raid Günzel’s residence, and discover a blood-stained table with restraints and bits of human flesh in his basement. They also find video equipment and preserved, tattooed skin from the victim’s back. Soon, they found dead bodies buried in the garden. Günzel then goes missing.

Hunting Time(tr)

During the year of the repressive military regime, a Turkish writer gets disillusioned by the loss of a dear friend and retires to his hometown on a remote island where he feels safe from the political turmoil. There he escapes to the world of memories, having imaginary conversations with his dead friend. However, the news of a new murder alerts him to the dangers lying ahead. Shot in Turkey following the years of military regime, Av Zamani carries autobiographical elements as the director Erden Kiral also had to flee the repressive regime of his country to be an exile in Germany. The weakness of the film is that the director is not able to take enough distance from the events to give the story a more universal appeal. Av Zamani was screened at the Montreal World Film Festival 1988.