Japan Film Week returns to Ras Al Khaimah for second year

The four-day event will show movies that are free to watch with seats on a first come, first served basis

Mikako Tabe and Haruma Miura in Little Nights, Little Love. Photo: Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research

Japan Film Week is returning to Ras Al Khaimah.

Fans of Japanese cinema will be able to watch four films for free at RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event runs from July 3 to 6, with screenings starting at 6pm. All movies will be shown with English subtitles and seating is on a first come, first served basis.

The film festival is organised by the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai and the UAE’s Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research.

“Building on last year’s success, we are thrilled to present the second Japan Film Week, an event that celebrates the exceptional talent and creativity of Japanese filmmakers,” said Suqrat Bin Bisher, art and culture manager at the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research.

“Collaborating with our esteemed partners, we are committed to offering experiences that enrich Ras Al Khaimah’s cultural landscape and simultaneously bolster our long-term relations.”

Here’s a look at what is playing.

First Gentleman (2021)

When: Monday, July 3

The romantic comedy stars Kei Tanaka and Miki Nakatani as married couple Hiyori and Rinko.

Hiyori is a zoologist and expert on birds and decides to go on a 10-day trip to an isolated location to study and watch them. Meanwhile Rinko is a politician and the leader of the minority opposite party. Before he goes away, she asks if he would support her if she became the prime minister.

When he returns from his trip, Rinko has indeed become Japan’s new prime minster – the country’s first female leader – which puts Hiyori in the unusual position of being Japan’s first gentleman.

Neko Ninja (2017)

When: Tuesday, July 4

The action film follows the adventures of an aspiring ninja called Kagerota (Takuro Ohno) whose father – a legendary red nose ninja – left him at the age of 10. He travels to Edo for his first mission in which he must steal a goldfish from a house. As he's leaving, he notices that he's being followed by a fat orange and white cat that happens to have a red nose like his father.

Little Nights, Little Love (2019)

When: Wednesday, July 5

Based on the best-selling compilation novel by Kotaro Isaka, the film centres on a young man named Sato (Haruma Miura) and young woman named Minako (Shihori Kanjiya) and those around them such as their friends, colleagues and children over the period of a decade. The multi-layered narrative shows how love, hope and friendship can bring together the most unlikely of people.

Children of the Sea (2019)

When: Thursday, July 6

The anime directed by Ayumu Watanabe follows Ruka, a young girl whose parents are separated and whose father works in an aquarium. When she was younger, she saw a ghost in the water. She is later drawn to two boys who were raised in the sea by dugongs. When they come to the aquarium, she realises that she has a supernatural connection to the water and so do they.

More information at eventbrite.com