Source: Third Window Films press release Special Thanks to Adam Torel and Claire Marty UK distributor Third Window Films have been flying the flag for Japanese director SION SONO for many years, being the first English-language distributor to release his 4 hour epic LOVE EXPOSURE, following it up with his serial killer tale COLD FISH, his multiple award-winning HIMIZU, his Fukushima tale THE LAND OF HOPE (which was also co-produced by Third Window) then most recently with his kaiju-turtle rock opera LOVE & PEACE. Now Third Window declares April 2018 to be "Sion Sono Month" with three films on Dual Format DVD/Blu-ray... THE WHISPERING STAR / THE SION SONO Dual Format DVD/Blu-ray Release date: April 16th, 2018 2 feature length films on the same disc. Reversible sleeve with posters for both films.
THE WHISPERING STAR (Hiso Hiso Boshi, ?????, 2015) Starring Megumi Kagurazaka 101 mins Black & White THE WHISPERING STAR is a science fiction film which brings forward the question of what it means to be human and how we cling onto the memories and the past in general, understanding the romanticism of a delivery company in a universe where instant transportation exists. Filmed with the help of Fukushima villagers, it’s also a testament to their existence and their abandonment, even four years after the catastrophe. Winner of the Netpac Award at the Toronto Film Festival. THE SION SONO (??????????, Sono Sion to Iu Ikimono, 2016) 97 mins Color Directed by Arata Oshima, son of rebel filmmaker Nagisa Oshima (MERRY CHRISTMAS MR LAWRENCE), who had praised Sono`s early work before his passing, this documentary gives insight into the man, the poet, the painter, the scriptwriter, the husband and the boy who will eventually grow up to be the Sion Sono. Lineage, history and the past meeting the present are themes in this film in which Oshima connects the dots in Sono`s creative life by taking the camera to the site of his upbringing and following the production of THE WHISPERING STAR. Dual Format DVD/Blu-ray Set Specifications Region: B/2 Format: PAL Number of Blu-ray Discs: 1 Number of DVDs: 1 SRP: £14.99 (Approximately $21.12 US) Release Date: April 16, 2018 Rating: 15 Audio: Japanese Subtitles: English
ANTIPORNO Dual Format DVD/Blu-ray Starring Ami Tomite, Mariko Tsutsui 76 mins Color In the 1970s and 1980s the Nikkatsu Roman Porno genre, which allowed directors wide latitude if they included a certain number of sex scenes in their films, was the launching pad for many now-prominent Japanese filmmakers, including Yojiro Takita, director of the Oscar winner DEPARTURES. In 2016, Nikkatsu launched the “Roman Porno Reboot Project”, bringing together the 5 of the most in-demand Japanese directors of today Sion Sono, Hideo Nakata (THE RING), Akihiko Shiota (DORORO), Kazuya Shiraishi (BIRDS WITHOUT NAMES) and Isao Yukisada (GO), to shoot 5 new Roman Porno Films. ANTIPORNO (??????, Anchi Poruno, 2017), Sion Sono`s take on the series, sees Kyoto (Ami Tomite), a writer/artist who acts and is treated more like a spoiled pop star. A typical day full of interviews, photo shoots, TV appearances and meetings begins as she’s woken by older personal assistant Noriko (Mariko Tsutsui). She treats the latter with an abusive contempt that often spills into the realm of stock S&M fetish play, complete with “Bark like a dog!” episodes. The arrival of various fawning acolytes and mass-media enablers only heightens Kyoto’s bratty excesses. At the same time, however, she has moments of panicked self-doubt, as well as presumably delusional communication with a dead sister (also Tstusui) who’s in “heaven.” Trapped in her celebrity, Kyoto is in another, soul-destroying place entirely, from which there’s no apparent escape. Dual Format DVD/Blu-ray Set Specifications Region: B/2 Format: PAL Number of Blu-ray Discs: 1 Number of DVDs: 1 SRP: £16.99 (Approximately $23.93 US) Release Date: April 30, 2018 Rating: 18 Audio: Japanese Subtitles: English Bonus Features Interview with actress Ami Tomite Making Of Audio Commentary by film critic Jasper Sharp
About Third Window Films
The Third Window Films brand was born in 2005 when its film-loving founders grew bored of the stream of worn-out shock horror vehicles from the Far East. Third Window Films works hard to bring you the wonderful world beyond long-haired ghost films and mindless Hollywood action copies, sourcing the finest works in new Far Eastern cinema. We strive to represent a rich variety of film genres, be they dramas, comedies, political satires, action or anything else in between. Expect everything from the unknown and cult to the off-beat and even the occasional mainstream masterpiece... or expect nothing but quality Asian cinema! Let Third Window Films be your window to the East!