The Ballad of Narayama
The Japanese Film Festival is celebrating its 40th edition in Montreal! Every year, the Consulate General of Japan in Montreal and the Japan Foundation, Toronto, a governmental NPO with the objective of strengthening the ties of friendship and deepening understanding between Japan and Canada through intercultural exchanges, offer free Japanese movie screenings.
In fact, the Japanese Film Festival presented by the Japan Foundation takes place on an international scale with screening locations in dozens of countries around the world, including several in venues across Canada. Of different genres and styles, the films selected each introduce different facets of Japan and present a variety of themes with the goal of appealing to all types of moviegoers.
Free admission
Set in 19th century rural Japan, the film follows a 69-year-old woman during her last year of life as she prepares for the inevitable: tradition has it that once someone reaches the age of 70, they must travel to a remote mountain to die. This winner of multiple awards, including the 1983 Palme d’Or, paints for its viewers a touching portrait of life’s brutality, but also of its beauty.