Toshinori Kondo

Everyone seems to be chasing Mona Hsia-Hwang. The opening scene has her being pursued a cornered by a cop, who molests her with his pistol. She gives into his attentions, then shoots him, establishing her credentials as a femme fatale. We then meet Mona's young cousin May, being picked up by Mona's husband's adopted son Li Wai Wai. Wai is the smouldering sullen type, whom May fancies almost immediately. Trouble is, Wai is secretly in love with Mona. Mona tends to the bodily functions of her sick and elderly husband Hwang Fei Hung. Fei Hung has a heart condition, and is under medical orders to avoid excitement. But, with a wife as luscious as Rena M, how is this possible?

Ishibashi Ginjiro, a swordsman from Edo, comes to a northern domain to look for a legendary sword Umanohone, ordered by his uncle, a chief retainer of the domain. To gain information on the sword, Ginjiro decides to challenge six expert swordsmen of the school which is said to own the sword. As he continues his search, being wounded and fighting the solitary fights, Ginjiro finds out secret maneuvers plotted by those who are possessed with lust for power. Based on a novel written by Fujisawa Shuhei.

The Yamaoki family moved from Kyoto to Tosa around the turn of the '50s; local school teacher Hirao becomes involved with Yasuko, sister to Sumio.

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The wife of a recently deceased yakuza boss is caught in a conflict between the candidates for his succession and must protect her beloved daughter. 9th installment of the 16-film franchise.

A new student ,Eiji is forced into playing the drums for the school band by his classmate, Nanao. From the first moment he holds a drumstick in his hands, the rhythm inside Eiji is awakened and he soon becomes captive to its sonic boom. The obsessive and demanding Nanao is soon swayed by Eiji's bright character and natural kindness. Under Nanao's leadership, the band starts making waves in local competitions. Despite their success, can they survive the pressures of school, relationships, and their dreams? In Beat Kids, Director Toshi Shioya weaves a passionate rock and roll coming of age story about a teenager who uses music to turn growing pains into something extraordinary.

Every Monday, a young woman is murdered in the subway, leading psychiatrist Setsuko Suma to investigate Dr. Rei Aku's deprogramming of former sect members.

When an explosion occurs, alcoholic bartender Kikuchi, who was wanted for a bombing 20 years ago, is suspected. Having lost two friends in the incident, Kikuchi sets out to find the real culprit.

A tough woman is dragging a weaker man deeper and deeper into crime. Woman cop Miki is chasing a wanted man when she stumbles on a crashed car and sees the driver, Koichi, ignite spilled petrol to kill himself and his passenger. She drags Koichi to safety, but the passenger dies. Miki says nothing to challenge the inquest finding of `accidental death', and when she visits Koichi in hospital he begins to understand that her complicity in his crime implies a sexual invitation. But a gumshoe has photos of the crash, and the only way to stall his blackmail is to kill him, the first of several murders...

When a Hong Kong teenager from a poor family wins a trip to Japan, he unleashes a chain of events that will soon bring him from his secluded fishing village to Tokyo. On the way, he connects with a barely competent tour guide and a gender-fluid pickpocket. Upon returning home with this merry band of schemers, he and his family of counterfeiters discover that a multinational conglomerate led by a ruthless Japanese developer has found the village, and is determined to raze it to build the new center of world trade.

Horai serves an 18 year sentence for killing a rival boss, but right before his release he is attacked.

"AA" is a documentary about Akira Aida (mostly known as Aquirax Aida), a japanese music critic who introduced free jazz, improvisation, and progressive rock to Japan. It's based on interviews with 12 critics and musicians who had connections with him. This is a documentary that considers the past, present and future of improvisation.

In this stunningly composed meditation on space and human relationships, an adrift Iranian architect, a disengaged Japanese couple, and a Lithuanian mixed martial arts fighter search for connection in modern Japan. From the stylishly designed shops of Tokyo to a minimalist glass suburban home to a mysterious tree house in the woods, Greater Things reveals the strange places we inhabit, and how they can both unite and divide us.

Throughout three decades, Bill Laswell has been a constant innovator, fusing seemingly disparate genres into a whole new sound. Touching upon everything from worldbeat, funk, rock, hip-hop and jazz, there are no limits to his experimental approach. Among his many talents is his ability to bring together well-matched singers and players to create a distinct style that defies easy classification. His Soundstage episode embodies his unique approach, transcending any genre boundaries and delivering an engaging performance. From the World Beat of Tabla Beat Science, to the jazzy flavors of Pharoah Sanders backed by Material, it’s an exciting mix. Other surprises include a rocking Buckethead set that includes a little breakdancing and songs by Praxis. The show culminates with an all-star performance, funked up by Bootsy Collins.

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Directed by Shinji Aoyama, this NHK documentary follows avant-garde jazz trumpeter Toshinori Kondo as he traces the footsteps of the poet Matsuo Bashō. Blending music, landscape, and literature, the film captures Kondo’s improvisational soundscapes against the spiritual terrain of Kumano, evoking a dialogue between past and present, poetry and performance.

An “artist’s home” in a suburb of Vienna, Austria. There, ten painters live a strange existence together whilst each spends his free time writing. Every year, they enjoy an outing to an exhibition. The physically old, but young-hearted artists board a bus and a strange journey ensues. Then, another “outing” which occurs in their everyday life. This documentary portrays, on this journey to a Prague exhibition, the world of each artist and of the human heart—its light and darkness. Lastly, we ask the question, essentially,what is human happiness?