Pom Poko (Japan, 1994)

As the human city development encroaches on the raccoon dog population's forest and meadow habitat, the raccoon dogs find themselves faced with the very real possibility of extinction. In response, they engage in a desperate struggle to stop the construction and preserve their home.

I've mentioned it before, but Pom Poko is my favorite film from animation giant Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away), as unconventional as that may be. The amount of heart and soul in this story is staggering and by the end you desperately want to see all the tanuki's live happily in peace. Director Isao Takahata shows the real life expansion of  Tama New Town in the 1960's, only it's through the eyes of those we rarely think about when a new development project takes place. Takahata's love for Japanese history and folklore shines through in every nook and cranny, and the huge number of references to iconic Japanese spirits makes it seem like a real-life fairytale. 

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Drama

Butter Lamp (China, 2013)

A young itinerant photographer and his assistant photograph Tibetan nomads in front of various backgrounds.

Short films can always impress me with how much they manage to express in a very limited amount of time. Butter Lamp may have a lot people wondering why we're watching a bunch of people getting their pictures taken, but others may find a lovely portrayal of a rich foreign culture, capped off with an ending which effectively comments on how the old meets the new and urbanization.

Genre: Short/Drama

Taipei Story (Taiwan, 1985)

Lung, a former member of the national Little League team and now operator of an old-style fabric business, is never able to shake a longing for his past glory. One day he runs into a former teammate who is now a struggling cab driver. The two talk about old times and they are struck by a sense of loss. Lung is living with his old childhood sweetheart Ah-chin, a westernized professional woman who grew up in a traditional family. Although they live together, Ah-chin is always weary of Lung's past liaison with another girl.

Hsiao-Hsien Hou, director of films such as The Assassin (2015) and Café Lumière (2003), stars in this gorgeous film made by the late Edward Yang (Yi Yi) which lay bare a not-so-perfect relationship between two people in their thirties. Yang is a master at portraying the emotional weight the lovers carry, and making the characters speak without words. We also get the chance to revel in his beautiful cinematography which is a constant reminder of his ability to look at people, urban landscapes and the smallest but most intimate moments.

Genre: Drama

Scattered Clouds (Japan, 1967)

A husband and wife's love for each other and plans for the future are shattered when the man dies in a car accident. Misery is compounded when the man's parents disinherit his now widow and their former daughter-in-law. In the meanwhile, the chauffeur who accidentally killed a man is racked with guilt. In the melee, the driver and the widow begin to develop feelings for another.

Scattered Clouds (a.k.a. Two in the Shadow) explores the complex feelings following a tragedy and how we humans are not always driven by our minds but by our hearts even when it's not logical. I appreciated the very focused storyline and lack of unnecessary characters and side-plots, director Mikio Naruse (When a Woman Ascends the Stairs) knew exactly what he wanted to tell and he did it. Naruse is known for mostly making films centered around women, spotlighting their struggle and setbacks in a patriarchal society. Director Akira Kurosawa once described his films as "like a great river with a calm surface and a raging current in its depths."

Genre: Drama/Romance

Heat Wave (Japan, 1991)

A woman follows in her late father's footsteps and becomes a gambler, only to meet her father's murderer at a game.

Heat Wave (a.k.a. Kagero) doesn't bring a whole lot of new twists to the world of cinema but it's still a tense thriller which after a fateful confrontation ends in a flaming and well-choreographed brawl. The setting of a suspenseful card game is definitely reminiscent of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, and I think it's a brilliant concept when two adversaries have no choice but to fight each others wits when there's people and witnesses around. I also enjoyed the surprise of seeing Tatsuya Nakadai in a prevalent role. 

Genre: Crime/Drama

Moonlight Serenade (Japan, 1997)

A journalist is reporting on the 1997 Kobe earthquake, as he remembers a trip made as a young boy. Then, he and family took a boat trip from Awaji to Beppu in order to bury the ashes of his elder brother, killed in the just-ended WWII. The lad spends much of the trip trying to talk his elder brother out of running away. They encounter an array of characters on the journey. Most prominent among them a black marketeer who, like the elder brother, feels that the "new ways" can only benefit him, and work against the boys' father, who is strict and traditional.

I've always had a soft spot for films that delves into feelings of nostalgia and old memories. It resonates with me more on a personal level and makes me reach back far in my own memory and remember things I'd thought was forgotten. Moonlight Serenade is about remembering ones childhood, both the hard times and the joyful moments too. 

Director Masahiro Shinoda was 15 years old when the war ended and one can imagine he drew a lot from experience when depicting a nation trying to recover from disaster, and also how American culture was seeping into Japan. Shinoda mainly focuses on portraying family and the different directions children take. 

Genre: Drama 

Samurai Trilogy (Japan, 1954-56)

The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, was one of Japan’s most successful exports of the 1950s, a rousing, emotionally gripping tale of combat and self-discovery. Based on a novel that’s often called Japan’s Gone with the Wind, this sweeping saga fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto, following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior.

When talking about some of the best Jidaigeki-films of all time, Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai-trilogy is sure to always come up. In the role of the eponymous Musashi Miyamoto we see Toshiro Mifune once again honing his sword skills, and we follow him from his early years as an aspiring warrior, up to the moment he becomes a true samurai. The grainy Eastmancolor is a true favorite of mine and makes the cinematography truly come alive, and I can't help but think that this is what cinema always was supposed to look like. The story goes through some ups and downs during the trilogy but it starts out great and ends fantastic. 

Genre: Action/Adventure/Biography