Drama

Labyrinth of Cinema

海辺の映画館―キネマの玉手箱

Directed by: Nobuhiko Ōbayashi
2019 / 179 minutes / Unclassified 15+ (under 15s must be accompanied by an adult)

日本語の解説は映画.comへ

An accelerated adventure through the history of war and cinema.

Labyrinth of Cinema sees esteemed auteur Nobuhiko Ōbayashi returning to his hometown, a port city named Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture, to shoot his final opus. One rainy day, the townspeople gather to enjoy a marathon screening of old war films at the town’s only cinema. With the rain cancelling any plans for outdoor activities, it seems as though the whole town is present to celebrate the cinema before it closes down for good. Lightning strikes and four young moviegoers find themselves on the other side of the silver screen. The protagonists traverse a smorgasbord of genres, while attempting to outrun enemies and witnessing transformative moments in Japanese history, such as the Boshin War, the second Sino-Japanese conflict and finally they find themselves in Hiroshima days prior to the atomic bombing. A love letter to cinema, Labyrinth of Cinema is a summation of the director’s iconically frenetic film style imbued with the ultimate message of peace he wished to impart on future generations.