Movie: Sway
Romaji: Yureru
Japanese: ゆれる
Director: Miwa Nishikawa
Writer: Miwa Nishikawa
Producer: Kiichi Kumagai
Cinematographer: Hiroshi Takase
Release Date: July 8, 2006
Runtime: 119 min.
Production Company: Bandai Visual
Distributor: Bandai Visual
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot

Takeru returns to his small hometown to attend a Buddhist ceremony honoring his deceased mother. His older brother, Minoru is the one that got Takeru to return to his roots for his mother’s ceremony.

Takeru left his hometown and family many years ago to live in Tokyo. Since that time, he became a successful photographer, while his brother Mineru, was left behind to run their family’s modest gas station business.

When Takeru first arrived back in his hometown, he learned that his ex-girlfriend, Chie, is now working for their family gas station business. He watches his timid older brother work talk with Chie and instantly feels jealousy. That evening Takeru asks Mineru if he could take Chie home, which Mineru agrees to good-naturedly. He even gives Takeru money to buy dinner. Takeru and Chie soon end up back at her apartment and the intimacy that they shared years ago are quickly rekindled.

The next day, at the insistence of Mineru, they all go together to the area known as “Hasumi Gorge” a beautiful mountainous area with a river and an old suspension bridge. On that fateful day, Chie tries to cross the swaying suspension bridge with Mineru closely behind her, but falls to her death.

Mineru is now on trial for the murder of Chie and his younger brother Takeru must now tie the pieces together to find out his innocence or guilt.
Cast

Joe Odagiri – Takeru Hayakawa
Teruyuki Kagawa – Minoru Hayakawa
Masato Ibu – Isamu Hayakawa
Hirofumi Arai – Yohei Okajima
Yoko Maki – Chieko Kawabata
Keizo Kanie – Osamu Hayakawa
Yuichi Kimura – Akihito Maruo
Tomorowo Taguchi – Judge
Pierre Taki – Funaki
Ryosei Tayama
Mayu Kitaki
Sabu Kawahara

Movie: Midnight Sun / A Song to the Sun
Romaji: Taiyo no uta
Japanese: タイヨウのうた
Director: Norihiro Koizumi
Writer: Kenji Bando, Yoshiaki Hosono
Producer:
Cinematographer:
Release Date: June 17, 2006
Runtime: 119 Min.
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan
Theme Song: Yui – “Good-bye Days”

Plot

Kaoru Amane, 16 years old, did not attend school but instead sang herself away every night after dark at a square in front of a train station with a guitar in her hands. She led a lifestyle opposite the norm, sleeping during the day and active at night. Kaoru was suffering from xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), an illness, which also might be described as the allergy to the sun, and was not allowed to be exposed to sunlight. The only motivation in her life was singing, which also was the only connection to the outside world. One day, an incident drastically changes her life…

Kaoru returns home at 4:00 am, before sunrise. Outside her room window, she spots a high school student standing with a surf board in his hands. It becomes her routine to watch him and his friends come and go to the ocean every morning, before going to sleep.

Their destined encounter takes place during the few hours before the break of day, drawing together two individuals that would have never met in daylight. However, Koji does not know about her illness. The two rapidly fall for one another and continues to meet in the city at night. Then one day, an incident leads Koji to learn of Kaoru’s illness. Kaoru gives up her first love telling herself that, “I shouldn’t have allowed myself to dream of a happy life. I am not normal after all.” She even gives up singing. Koji seeing Kaoru at such a state encourages her by suggesting, “Let’s meet only at night,” and comes up with a brilliant present for her.

She had been leading a life carefully placing herself beyond the reach of harm, with no intent to pursue a dream. However, Koji had shone a light on her heart making her want to sing once again. However, her illness which has quietly progressed, has started to pressure her nerve system, keeping her from playing the guitar at her will…

Cast:

Yui – Kaoru Amane
Takashi Tsukamoto – Koji Fujishiro
Kuniko Asagi – Yuki Amane
Eri Fuse
Gaku Hamada
Goro Kishitani – Ken Amane
Takashi Kobayashi
Jun Kaname
Magii
Sogen Tanaka – Haruo Kato
Airi Toriyama – Misaki Matsumae
Hajime Yamazaki
Yu Koyanagi