Survival Family

What happens when electricity ceases in the city of Tokyo? Directed by veteran Japanese director Shinobu Yaguchi, who specialises in “feel-good, zero-to-hero” films, the plot of Survival Family revolves around a mysterious power outage that wipes out every modern service imaginable: from water and electrical supply to mobile phones and laptops, and even cars. Set in a dystopian Tokyo, the film explores the Suzuki family’s time of tribulation – sole breadwinner of the family, Yoshiyuki (Fumiyo Kohinata), has to play the patriarch role for his wife (Eri Fukatsu) and tech-addict children (Yuki Izumisawa and Wakana Aoi). Complacent and spoilt in…

One of the first things that would pop up in our minds once we hear “Japan” or “Japanese”, is either one of two: endless slices of Salmon sashimi, or cutesy anime girls with high-pitched voices that can almost destroy our eardrums. But for me, Japan never fails to prompt me to think of high quality in virtually anything that comes from it – be it cars, food, stationery, and even films. Good Japanese films don’t only point to anime that keeps you addicted to watching episode after episode (even after the fillers), but also includes productions that are not shy…