In the organizer's words:

学校Ⅱ Gakkô ni
Director: YAMADA Yôji
1996, 122 minutes, original language, 16 mm

Following the success of Gakkô (A Class to Remember, 1993), Yamada Yôji produced a second installment of this heart-warming drama three years later. Nishida Toshiyuki can also be seen in the leading role of the teacher, while the action has been relocated to Hokkaido.

Aoyama Ryûhei is a teacher at a special school and not only has problems with his daughter, but also has to search for two missing high school students. Takashi has been bullied by his classmates and lives a withdrawn life, while Yûya stands out for his violent outbursts. Nishida suspects that the two are going to a concert and sets off there with a young colleague, reliving his time with the students in his mind's eye. The search for the missing remains unsuccessful until a surprise appears in the sky.

Film series
The film location Hokkaido
Unique stories in unique places

Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture in Japan, is primarily known for its impressive landscape with mountain ranges, rivers, lakes and unique flora and fauna. In 2005, the Shiretoko peninsula on the north-eastern tip of Hokkaido was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its spectacular landscape. In addition, festivals such as the famous Sapporo Snow Festival with its international snow sculpture competition attract millions of visitors every year.

Hokkaido, with its distinctive landscape, is also a popular filming location for both the Japanese market and foreign productions. Last but not least, Hokkaido is home to the Ainu people, to whom the Japanese Cultural Institute is dedicating several events in February. To mark these events, we are turning our attention northwards and presenting three films that were made in Hokkaido.

The focus is on strong personalities in special relationships: Tsubakihime tells the story of a cab driver in Sapporo who is madly in love with a singer. Gakkô II describes how the relationship between a teacher and his students develops over the years, and in Ainu Puri, the director accompanies people on Hokkaido who preserve the traditional Ainu culture.