Japanese Film Screening

2026/7/23

Free Japanese Film Screening

Free Japanese Film Screening is being held at Ellen Melville Centre on the last Friday of each month from 6:00pm and are preceded by a short video about Japanese culture from 5:45 pm. 
  • All films have English subtitles.
  • Admission is free and booking is not necessary (first come, first served basis )
  • A short videos on life and culture in Japan will be shown before the start of the feature film.
  • The dates and titles may change due to unforeseen circumstances.

Film Information


David Bowie and Ryūichi Sakamoto star in this 1983 Palme d’Or-nominated classic war drama, an unforgettable portrait of resilience, pride, friendship and obsession.

Set in the humid confines of a prisoner-of-war camp in Java during the turbulent Japanese occupation, director Nagisa Ōshima (In the Realm of the Senses) throws two cultures together for a crucial reckoning.

Deeply ritualistic, the camp commander Captain Yonoi (Sakamoto) is oddly intrigued by the shameless defiance of new British intern Jack Celliers (Bowie). As escalating cultural tensions reverberate across other captors and captives, stifling greenery and dirt, interpreter Lawrence attempts to retain some sense of humanity in the brutally existential ring that was WW2. 

Bowie and Sakamoto star in this enigmatic queer-toned cult classic alongside cult icon Takeshi Kitano in his first ever dramatic appearance, and Academy Award nominee Tom Conti.

A stunning score and cinematography combined with brilliant direction by one of Japan's finest filmmakers make this a memorable and compelling cult classic.

Filming locations

  • Rarotonga, Cook Island (Prisoners camp in Java)
  • Mount Eden Prison, Auckland, New Zealand (exterios: Hara's prison in 1946)
  • Auckland, New Zealand (as Batavia: view of the railway station)
  • Wanganui, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand (college scenes)
     

Trailer

Venue

The Ellen Melville Centre is an Auckland Council community hub in the centre of Auckland city. Formerly known as Pioneer Women's and Ellen Melville Hall, the Ellen Melville Centre has five diverse hireable spaces, and easy access onto Freyberg Place.
Website Ellen Melville Centre

The Centre
This website was launched in November 2020 to promote the great events happening across the Auckland region in your local Auckland Council supported arts, community and events venues.

Ellen Melville Centre Facebook
Getting there Ellen Melville Centre are located in the heart of the High Street District, connecting High Street to the O'Connell Street shared space, Chancery Square and the Metropolis.

 Parking information

 Public transport information

Japanese Film Festival 2026 - A Window into Contemporary Japan

「Japanese Film Festival 2026」in Auckland will be held from Thursday 17 September to Sunday 20 September 2026 at the Academy Cinemas.  

This year's Japanese Film Festival presents a carefully curated selection of contemporary Japanese films that reflect the emotional depth and social realities of modern Japan. Through stories of family, craftsmanship, belonging, and personal transformation, the programme reveals the quiet richness and complexity of everyday life.

More than a film showcase, the festival serves as a cultural bridge, offering New Zealand audiences the opportunity to experience Japan through some of Japan's finest contemporary films.
  • Free Admission (online booking fee NZ$1.50 apply)
  • Booking required at Academy cinemas HP (Booking open from Thursday 20 August)
  • All films are presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

We warmly invite you to join us in celebrating the richness and diversity of Japanese cinema.

Please click here for more details.
 

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