Japan/Germany 2023, 120 mins (Dir. Wim Wenders) starring Koji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto, Arisa Nakana, Aoi Yamada, Yumi Aso.
Hirayama works as a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo’s upscale Shibuya ward, across town from his modest home east of the Sumida River. He is a man of few words and great tranquillity. He seems content with his simple life. He follows a structured everyday life and dedicates his free time to his passion for music and books. More of his past is gradually revealed through a series of unexpected encounters.
Wenders makes Hirayama’s life so mundane, that the slightest change becomes an immense piece of action. His lack of a backstory makes him all the more enigmatic, and his relationships with others all the more compelling. Watching the film becomes like a meditation as Hirayama finds beauty and serenity in the most unexpected places.
Brilliantly acted by Koji Yakusho, the great Japanese actor, whose soulfulness fills the empty spaces of Perfect Days. He won Best Actor at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, where it competed for the Palme d’Or and won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.
Please book a seat by 1pm on the day of the film
Tickets: £9 Members / £12 Non-Members
Alternatively, book HFS Membership for the season September 2024 – June 2025 (10 films):
HLSI Members: £50
Non-Members: £55
Doors open at 7.00pm for pre-film drinks (included in the price of the ticket)
Film starts at 7.30pm
Film Talk at 9.30pm