In Manchester, England, a hallucinating suicidal postman receives philosophical advice from a football legend. Meanwhile, in Sweden, a 12-year-old boy falls in love with the spooky girl next door, only to find out she is a vampire. And then there's the struggling interracial couple in war-stricken Netherlands, the mythical goat in Bulgaria and the girl in Austria, who is speaking with God through her walkie-talkie. These unusual characters are all part of the EU Film Days festival, which kicks off Friday.
The festival, now in its 10th edition, brings a wide range of European works to Japan. The program boasts 21 films from as many countries, seven of them will be screened for the first time here.
Some of the films date back as far as the 1960s, with organizers saying they hope to give the audience a broad sense of Europe's film talent.
The screenings are set to take place at the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, but this year the festival also visits Kyushu. Seven of the films will be screening at the Fukuoka City Public Library from June 13.
EU Film Days takes place from May 25-31 in Tokyo and June 13-19 in Fukuoka. Tickets are ¥500 in Tokyo and ¥600 in Fukuoka (discounts are available for students, the elderly and the disabled). For more information on venues and schedules, please visit www.eufilmdays.jp/en.