Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Aero Theatre, Santa Monica
### **ABOUT THE FILMS: ** **REPAST, 1951, Dir. Mikio Naruse, 93 Mins, Janus Films, Japan** *In Japanese with English subtitles.* Michiyo lives in the small place Osaka and is not happy with her marriage; all she does is cook and clean for her husband. FORMAT: 35mm **LIGHTNING, 1952, Dir. Mikio Naruse, 87 Mins, Kadokawa, Japan** *In Japanese with English subtitles.* Facing pressures to marry and having witnessed her two sisters’ own marital struggles, sightseeing bus guide Kiyoko (Hideko Takamine) strives for her own solitary independence, resisting suitors and openly expressing a disdain for men. Through a family of four siblings, each from different fathers, Naruse explores the suffocating family life of Kiyoko’s *shitamachi* household and its surroundings. LIGHTNING is a buildup of vignettes, events and occurrences, as Kiyo experiences the world around her—misfortune, family tragedy, interpersonal quarrels and the vulgarities of men—trying to make sense of a modern existence where the promise of happiness still comes second for women. FORMAT: 35mm