A brilliant mind confronts an unseen enemy
Sneak Preview Screening: "Teki Cometh" (Teki) followed by a Q&A
with director Daihachi Yoshida and star Kyozo Nagatsuka
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6:00 pm*
*Please note early start time.
In Japanese with English subtitles
Japan 2024 108 minutes
Directed by: Daihachi Yoshida
Written by: Daihachi Yoshida, based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel "Teki"
Produced by: Tomotsu Kosano, Keisuke Konishi
Starring: Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kumi Takiuchi, Yuumi Kawai, Asuka Kurosawa,
Ayumu Nakajima, Shinsuke Kato, Masahiro Toda, Satoru Matsuo, Takashi Matsuo
Film courtesy of Happinet Phantom Studios
Daihachi Yoshida's "Teki Cometh" swept the top awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October, becoming the first Japanese film to win the Grand Prix in 19 years. Daring to shoot in black and white, and to focus on a retired, octogenarian widower who is grappling with the inevitable cognitive decline - and more - Yoshida has created a masterpiece.
Addressing important themes of aging, societal alienation and existential fear, "Teki Cometh" is not only a deeply felt drama, but also a psychological thriller that is sprinkled liberally with hilarious black comedy. The director masterfully blends his atmospheric narrative with stunning cinematography (by Hidetoshi Shinomiya) and tour-de-force performances, immersing viewers in a world that is unraveling.
Based on the acclaimed novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, the film follows former French literature professor Gisuke Watanabe (Nagatsuka, brilliant) as he spends his days making rice, grilling fish, grinding coffee beans, and calculating just how many years he has left before his money runs out. He writes the occasional column and lectures now and then, but most of all, he putters about his lovely old house, built by his grandfather. Despite his solitude, Gisuke finds comfort in visits from former students, one of whom is tending the garden and another, former student Yasuko Takatsukasa (Takiuchi), who comes over for home-cooked meals and intellectual conversations.
However, Gisuke's life takes a surreal turn when he receives an ominous message online warning, "The enemy is coming from the north." Initially dismissive of what he assumes is an attempt to trick him, Gisuke soon begins to experience strange occurrences that blur the line between reality and imagination. When his late wife arrives one day, Gisuke realizes that he must confront his deepest fears. Does the "enemy" lie within or beyond?
Please join us for this sneak preview of the triumphant "Teki Cometh" before its Japan release on January 17, 2025.
For more (in Japanese): https://happinet-phantom.com/teki/
Director DAIHACHI YOSHIDA made his film debut with "Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers!" (2007), which premiered at the Cannes Critics' Week and established him as a talent to watch. His 2012 "The Kirishima Thing" became a critical and commercial success, winning multiple Japan Academy Awards, including Best Director, and receiving widespread international acclaim. His "Pale Moon" (2014) won the Tokyo International Film Festival Audience Award and Best Actress Award, and "The Scythian Lamb" (2018) won the Kim Ji Seok Award at the Busan International Film Festival. He also earned acclaim for the Yukio Mishima adapation "A Bright Star" (2017), "Kiba: The Fangs of Fiction" (2020), several stageplays and TV dramas. "Teki Cometh" won the TIFF Grand Prix, Best Director Award and Best Actor Award at the 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival.
Actor KYOZO NAGATSUKA made his debut in the French film "The Chinese in Paris" (1974) while a student at the Sorbonne, and went on to become one of Japan's most prominent actors on stage, television and film. He has collaborated with many renowned directors, earning him the Best Actor Award at the Mainichi Film Concours for "The Junior High School Teacher" (1992) and "Hit-and-Run Family" (1992), and the Best Actor Award at the Japan Academy Awards for "Moonlight Serenade" (1997). His major film credits include "Tokyo Lullaby" (1997), "Fireworks, Ferris Wheels and Love" (1997), "Laughing Frog" (2002), "Samurai Resurrection" (2004), "Long. Long Murder" (2008), "Our Family" (2013), "Umami"(2022), and "Teki Cometh," for which he received the Best Actor Award at the 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival.
Please make your reservations at the FCCJ Reception Desk 03 3211-3161 or register online.
All film screenings are private, noncommercial events primarily for FCCJ members and their guests.
- Karen Severns, Film Committee