Silence and (dis) connection | Film Screening: Tokyo Sonata
Session 1: 08 PM, Fri 24 Apr 2026
Session 2: 08 PM, Sun 26 Apr 2026
White Light Cinéhub
Floor 3, COMPLEX 01
29/31/167 Tây Sơn, Hà Nội
Registration link (each registration is for 01 guest only)
From the organizer:
Set in contemporary Tokyo, “Tokyo Sonata” is a story of an ordinary Japanese family of four. The father, Ryuhei Sasaki, like any other Japanese businessman, is faithfully devoted to his work. His wife, Megumi, left on her own to manage the house, struggles to retain a bond with her oldest son in college, Takashi, and the youngest, Kenji, a sensitive boy in elementary school. From the exterior the family is seemingly normal, save for the tiny schisms that exist within.
In the hands of world famous director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, known for his thrillers and movies of suspense, this story will probe the dark side of human nature and the social problems that confront contemporary Japan. Kurosawa’s portrayal of the breakdown and redemption of Japan’s “ordinary family” will be every bit as gripping as his previous works.
TOKYO SONATA | トウキョウソナタ (T16)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2008
Duration: 121′
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Language: Japanese with Vietnamese and English subtitles
The film is suitable for children under 13 when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
Though devoid of disquieting creepiness and eerie horror, Tokyo Sonata nevertheless harbors the fundamental elements of a primal, invisible dread – the very same unease that “haunted” the earlier works of Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Here, the unease manifests through the crisis of a typical middle-class family, when the patriarchal breadwinner is abruptly laid off after years of loyal service, thereby being stripped of his economic power, his social standing, and his gendered prerogative. He, and countless other salarymen, becomes wandering “ghosts” within the very social structure that once granted him an identity.
Parallel to the father’s futile efforts to keep up appearances, the family home gradually loses its function as a sanctuary. With masterful precision, Kurosawa employs the grammar of the horror film to visualize a fracturing emptiness that can no longer be ignored: sudden gales threatening a rigid order, strange flashes of light slicing across domestic spaces, a gloomy, suffocating living room, and the housewife, Megumi, who will traverse the utmost limits of the desolation haunting her own home. Condemnation – that is a recurring motif in Kurosawa’s cinema; but never before has the director opened the door to its counterpart – salvation – with such gentle and profound stillness.
Tăng Linh
About Silence and (dis) connection:
Silence and (dis) connection is the outcome of An Open Draft – Asia Film Programmers Lab, an initiative launched by the Japan Foundation. Alongside its aim to promote cultural exchange through cinema, the project also seeks to nurture a new generation of film curators and programmers in Southeast Asia and Japan.
Centered on family, the program presents five films spanning several decades of Japanese society. Across these films run a series of averted gazes, unspoken words, and quiet distances that shape human relationships. Yet, it is often within these fractures that the possibility of reconnection emerges.
Note:
– Registration is limited to 36 audience. You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of completing registration. Please check your spam folder or contact the White Light Cinéhub Facebook page if you don’t receive it.
– Doors open 30 minutes before showtime for seating and drink selection. Late entry is accepted up to 15 minutes after the screening begins. Please arrive on time for the best experience.
– No outside food or drinks are permitted.
– By attending, guests consent to being photographed and quoted by the project for promotional purposes.
– Coupons are non-transferable and may not be resold under any circumstances.
– If you are unable to attend after registering, please inform us at least 72 hours in advance for refund and to allow your seat to be offered to another guest.
Silence and (dis) connection, organized by White Light Cinéhub with the sponsorship of the Japan Foundation and the media support of COMPLEX 01 and Hanoi Grapevine, introduces 05 selected films with theme of family in Japanese society from the 1950s to the present. The program includes film screenings and conversations, taking place from April 3 to May 3, 2026 at White Light Cinéhub (29/31/167 Tây Sơn, Hanoi).
Follow updates on event’s page.
