An American actor in Tokyo struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese 'rental family' agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients' worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality.
The world is a perplexing, peaceful mystery to Amélie until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family's housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family's idyllic life as foreigners in post-war Japan.
Based on four of the six short stories compiled in Murakami Haruki's anthology, After the Quake explores the complex aftermath of Japan’s earthquakes and other global crises. (Movie version of the TV drama).
A man wakes from a coma speaking a fully formed but unrecognizable language baffling linguistic experts from around the globe.
Abraham Lincoln grieves over the death of his 11-year-old son, Willie.
The story takes place during a summer of continuous sunshine when water supply restrictions are issued in the city. Shunsaku Iwakiri works for the city's water department and his job is to visit homes and stores that are behind on their bills and either collect the money or shut off the water supply (water suspension enforcement). Shunsaku is separated from his wife and children, and his heart grows thirsty as he spends his days visiting poor households and being abhorred. One day, during a water shutoff, Shunsaku meets two young sisters who have been neglected. He sees them as his own children and offers them a helping hand.
In small-town America, a solitary man drifts through life - until a group of fearless young artists crash into his world. A coming-of-middle-age story about identity, belonging, and the strange beauty of connection.
An old widower, Jasper, routinely makes coffee in two mugs and picks up trash around his community. Some of his more interesting finds speckle his home. His neighbors mostly disregard him. On one of his regular hunts, he chances upon an envelope. To his surprise, he finds old wedding photos and presumes the addressee, Angie, to be the bride. Determined to complete the delivery, Jasper follows a map to the address. When he finally arrives, his excitement is upended when Angie, now divorced, rebuffs him and the photos. He leaves her with an open invitation to his home, should she change her mind. The next morning, Jasper starts his routine-only to find Angie at his door. After a heart-to-heart on loss and new life, Jasper invites Angie to pick up trash with him. Together, they go.
A socially disconnected young man with Tourette's Syndrome undergoes an experimental surgery to correct his disorder, but as his symptoms start to fade so does his ability to heal the sick and dying.
Unable to travel home across closed borders after her mother's sudden and isolated death in China, a middle-aged immigrant named Mei grasps for consolation and connection while living alone in COVID-era New York until one afternoon, she encounters a familiar stranger on the streets nearby.
A mailman in rural East Tennessee who struggles to make a human connection with others is forced to reconsider his involvement in the life of his co-worker when he suspects she might be in a toxic relationship with her spouse.
Women of different ages, nationalities and sexualities gather in the titular establishment, sharing drinks, laughter and fragments of their lives under soft blue light. As their stories intersect like stars in a constellation, the film explores themes of self-identity and human connection before the women part ways at dawn.
In the anonymity of an increasingly automated city, a successful but socially struggling man finds an unexpected emotional connection through a help desk conversation. Thank You for Calling (Met Wie Spreek Ik) is a short, magical-realistic film about Rens, a director of a music venue who is on the brink of a burn-out. After an emotional breakdown, he is unexpectedly called by Herman, an unknown man on a houseboat. What starts as an uncomfortable phone call, ends in an absurd musical journey.
Kirovakan, Armenia, 1968. A street in the town is being renamed, but nobody seems to know whom after. A chance encounter between a student running late to his thesis defense, and a young woman determined to leave the town forever. 25 years earlier, Genrikh Zakaryan, a young resistance fighter, smuggles a secret Nazi operations map through occupied territory. Imaginings and history meld into one, echoes of past and future coalesce: “the fate of Genrikh Zakaryan is intangibly intertwined with the fate of today’s youth.”
A family embarks on a bittersweet Sunday outing to honour the memory of their departed loved one. On their way there, they engage in heartfelt conversations and share anecdotes, reminiscing about the profound impact their loved one had on their lives. The day trip becomes a cathartic experience, allowing them to confront their grief, find solace in cherished memories, and ultimately get reminded of the enduring power of love and remembrance. But not everything is as it seems…
One year after Tiffany’s tragic accident, Henk (Arek Zasowski) still struggles to accept her loss. Haunted by memories and unable to move forward, he finds himself torn between grief and the possibility of healing. Vivian (Natasha Jules) may be the key to his catharsis, but only if he dares to open his heart again.
On Thanksgiving Eve, a looming hurricane strands four strangers inside a small-town grocery market. As the storm stalls and tensions rise, secrets are unearthed, unexpected bonds form, and redemption emerges in the unlikeliest of aisles. A contained dramedy about connection, empathy, and the fragile humanity we find when forced to stop and face each other.
The short film tells the story of the owner of a restaurant that has the habit of making small generous gestures on a daily basis.
Spencer Thompson, at rock bottom after losing his job and home, plans to end his life. But when he meets Angela, who calls herself a “Chinese Angel,” his path takes an unexpected turn toward light. Shot in London, Cyprus, and Canada, the film won awards worldwide.
