Josee, The Tiger, and the Fish
Through a haphazard series of events, lackadaisical college student Tsuneo (Satoshi Tsuambuki) finds himself entangled in the life of “Josee” (Chizuru Ikewaki), a young, strong-willed paraplegic woman and social recluse who named herself after a character in one of her favorite novels. As the pair’s friendship blossoms into romance, they find their worldviews expanded and enriched through each other in unexpected ways. A genuinely moving reflection on love and loss adapted from a short story by Seiko Tanabe, Isshin Inudo’s breakout independent feature film was a box office sensation that has since remained in the cultural consciousness: a Japanese anime adaptation and a Korean live action remake were both released within the last year.
- Selected as the fourth best Japanese film of 2003 by Kinema Junpo film critics poll
- Nominee, Best Actor, 2004 Kinema Junpo Awards
“Indie helmer Isshin Inudo continues to eschew maudlin melodrama in favor of finely drawn characters who balance defiant eccentricity with fundamental decency.” —Variety
“★★★★☆” —The Japan Times
Note: This feature is soft-subtitled. Please click on the “CC” button in the lower-right corner of the player to enable English subtitles
Streaming in the U.S. from February 5-25 as part of 21st Century Japan: Films from 2001-2020