HÀ NỘI — A film festival opening in Việt Nam today will feature 11 Japanese movies, documentaries and animated cartoons.

Most of the films were made during the last two years, including award-winners and box office favourites. The festival mixes history, comedy and samurai action. It features charismatic performances from some of Japan’s favourite stars.

Relief, a movie based on the popular manga (comics) by Yayoiso, is the third by anime series directed by Takeshi Furusawa after 2014’s Clover and 2015’s Assassination Classroom.

The best: Tora-San Goto won the Magnolia Award for Best Documentary at the 22nd Shanghai International Television Festival. — Photo Japan Foundation

The documentary Tora-San Goto was filmed over a period of 22 years. This intimate portrait follows the Inuzuka family living in the Goto Islands of Nagasaki. Tora is the household patriarch, running a noodle-making business with the help of his wife and seven children. As time passes the household experiences childbirth, separation and reunion. The film provides a remarkable in-depth look at the unique bonds that prevail over generations.

The documentary won the Magnolia Award for Best Documentary at the 22nd Shanghai International Television Festival.

Another documentary, Wonderland Tsukuji, explores the world’s largest fish market, which has been at the heart of Japanese cuisine since opening almost 80 years ago. With over 600 wholesalers who have dedicated their lives to supplying only the best produce, the incredible scale of trade at Tsukiji is a testament to their pride and determination.

From Japan: A scene from film Relief

Tsukuji has been credited with maintaining the quality of washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine which has been designated by UNESCO as a part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage.

One highlight of the festival will be a series of films with a common theme by Japanese, Fillipino and Cambodian directors. Under the theme of Living Together in Asia, the films depict the lives of characters who journey among the Asian countries. The films are made under a biennial project bringing together renowned directors from Japan and neighbouring Asian countries.

The films will be screened at Hà Nội’s National Cinema Centre until November 11, HCM City’s CineStar from November 24 to December 9, and Đà Nẵng’s Lê Độ Cinema on January 13 and 14. All films will be screened with both English and Vietnamese subtitles.

Tickets at VNĐ30,000 are on sale in Hà Nội and HCM City. In Đà Nẵng, admission is free, but audience should pick up tickets at Lê Độ Cinema, 46 Trần Phú Street. — VNS