As we enter autumn in Japan, one national holiday provides us with the opportunity to show our love for our elders: “Respect for the Aged Day” (keirō no hi), which falls this year on Sept. 21. Of course, the pandemic has limited the opportunities we have for seeing our parents and grandparents. So spending quality time in 2020 may consist of streaming a film while on video chat together and having a good discussion afterward. Not ideal, but not that bad either. Here are six films, from tear-jerkers to side-splitters, that’ll remind you and your loved ones that age is nothing but a number.
“Still Walking (Aruitemo Aruitemo)” (2008)
Comparable to Yasujiro Ozu’s 1953 magnum opus “Tokyo Story,” Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Still Walking” (Japanese title: “Aruitemo Aruitemo”) depicts the various interactions between members of the same family as they commemorate the anniversary of the eldest son's death. Indeed, while Ozu's film shows the disintegration of a family, “Still Walking” does the opposite — with director Kore-eda (winner of the Palme d’Or for “Shoplifters”) bringing home the message that, ultimately, the ties that bind us are far too important to let go, no matter how tense things may be at times. Both gently humorous and deeply moving at different times, “Still Walking” is guaranteed to bring the family together in a celebration of family.