(Director: Takayuki Ohashi, Japan, 145mins) 

Filmmaker Takayuki Ohashi is at the forefront of a new wave of Japanese filmmakers; a fresh generation of talent that is not only forging new paths for the national cinema, but also honouring the great masters who have gone before. In his deeply affecting contemporary sci-fi drama Distant Thunder, we can see the visual influence of Akira Kurosawa and feel the contemplative, humanistic heart of Yasujirô Ozu.

The film encompasses two distinct yet overlapping narratives. In modern day Setouchi, three sisters are reunited after the death of their father. The reaffirmation of their shared love is crucial; in two months, a meteor will lay waste to humanity. The sisters recall their days as young girls, in the year 1999, the memories helping to strengthen their resilience and ease their anxiety as the end draws near.

From Simon Foster, Festival Director of the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival: “Distant Thunder is one of the most beautifully meditative storytelling experiences I have ever seen. It is a breathtakingly lovely, heartbreakingly moving piece of speculative cinema.”

New South Wales Premiere

SESSION NAME: ‘SLOW SCI-FI MASTERPIECE #2’