The Morning Schedule

The Morning Schedule

1972. Japan. Directed by Susumu Hani. Screenplay by Hani, Kanji Nakao, Ichiro Araki, Yutaka Hamada. With Aya Kunikida, Sumei Shau, Takuji Hatano. Continuing his favorite theme of lost childhood, Hani invented faux home movies—some shot by his own actors—for this affecting, and somehow jarringly modern, work of nostalgia. Reiko returns from vacation to inform Shitamura of the suicide of their friend Kusako; together they watch 8mm holiday films that reveal the melancholic passing of friendships that once seemed eternal. Courtesy Toho Distribution. In Japanese; English subtitles. 101 min.