Passion

media release: Japan | 2008 | DCP | 116 min. | Japanese with English subtitles

Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

Cast: Aoba Kawai, Nao Okabe, Ryuta Okamoto

The second feature from the director of Drive My Car, Passion was Hamaguchi’s thesis project at Tokyo University of the Arts, and it lays the thematic foundations for what would become his internationally renowned body of work. Unfolding over a few hours, the story begins with the announcement of a young couple’s engagement, leading to a long night where they separately reckon with past relationships. Infused with emotional clarity and honesty, “Hamaguchi’s script offers florid arias of confrontation and self-revelation; in his striking repertoire of visual compositions, including flurries of urgent closeups and thrillingly panoramic long takes, the poised and assertive actors seem to fill not just the screen but the city itself with his prose” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker).

Take a break from the dog days of summer and enjoy free screenings of great movies every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening from June 28 to August 4. UW Cinematheque's summer season begins with Charlotte Le Bon's evocative Falcon Lake on June 28, followed by David Lynch's Blue Velvet on June 29. Summer selections also include local premieres, another trip to Lynchland by way of the Land of Oz, and a voyage into and beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Plus, a pair of dreamlike contemporary classics from Hungary, two by Federico Fellini starring Alberto Sordi, a Barbara Stanwyck double feature showcase on 35mm, a diptych of NYC bank heist films, and more! All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.