International Film Series presenting Tokyo Sonata on February 4 at Laconia library

Published Date

LACONIA — The Laconia Human Relations Committee. in cooperation with the Laconia Public Library.
will present Tokyo Sonata, another in the International Film Series to be shown on Monday, February 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Laconia Public Library.
The raw wound of unemployment rests at the center of the global economy. In this movie it is placed in Japan. Kiyoshi Kurosawa brings the fraught power and bleak humor of Tokyo Sonata to the screen. This is the story of a man who's lost his job at a high-profile company and, instead of telling his family, attempts to string them along for as long as he can on his severance package. He suits up every day, either
looking for work or eating free meals in unemployment lines. The need for respect is the undercurrent of coping.
Tokyo Sonata is a versatile character study that explores the four members of the Sasaki family, showing how the father's "hidden" transgressions dictate the manner in which he controls his family -- and how they all develop around his change in behavior.
Each son sees differing paths for themselves, the youngest as a piano player and the oldest as a solider. These are just "whims" to the father and cannot possibly lead to a stable future for them. The desperate humor and growing intensity of each family member brings to life the tenuousness of survival. Watching how the Sasaki family deconstructs underneath the weight of their patriarch's lies, the movie reveals how
each survives to come together again.
A 2008 movie. Tokyo Sonata received a Cannes Festival Jury Award.
The Laconia International Film Series is open free to everyone. Informal discussion follows the film. Light snacks are provided. Feel free to bring a cushion for comfort in viewing the movie.
For more information, contact Len Campbell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lovinia Ellsworth at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .