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Already binged through your Netflix queue and finished watching some of the world’s best theatre performances online? Break out of your entertainment comfort zone with We Are One: A Global Film Festival, which features a long list of independent films on YouTube curated by famous film festivals including Cannes, Tribeca and the Tokyo International Film Festival. The online event runs from May 29 to June 7.
The films are completely free to watch, but donations to the Covid-19 coronavirus relief fund are strongly encouraged. Each film or festival has different donation partners, examples include the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Doctors Without Borders. The Tokyo International Film Festival’s chosen organisation is Give2Asia, which supports non-profits throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Not sure what to watch? Here are the films curated by the Tokyo International Film Festival for We Are One.
‘East of Jefferson’ (May 31 at 1.30am JST)
This short film, directed by Koji Fukada, follows a couple in a love hotel, when something, or someone, unexpected shows up.
‘Inabe’ (June 1 at 9pm JST)
Another entry by Fukada, this short film is about a young woman returning to her countryside home with her new child and reconciling with her brother, a pig farmer.
‘The Yalta Conference Online’ (June 1 at 8pm JST)
The third film directed by Fukada in this lineup, this humorous satire stars the Japanese theatre company Seinendan as they impersonate Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin over Zoom.
‘Genius Party: Happy Machine’ (June 3 at 8pm JST)
This psychedelic film about a baby on an epic adventure is a collaboration between popular animator Masaki Yuasa (known for the film ‘The Night is Short, Walk on Girl’) and the animation studio Studio 4°C.
‘Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops’ (June 5 at 4.30am JST)
This impressive film, shot in one 74-minute take, follows a teenage theatre group rehearsing a play without an audience.
‘Tremble All You Want’ (June 6 at 4.15am JST)
Perfect for a light evening, this romantic comedy is about an office worker obsessed with extinct fossils, who harbors a crush going back to middle school. Her daydreaming life is turned upside down when she finds herself in a love triangle with a colleague and her ideal love interest. Watch the trailer here.
For more information see the official website and YouTube channel.
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