NORTH HOLLYWOOD — “A Bride for Rip Van Winkle,” a film by Shunji Iwai, will be screened one time only on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at Laemmle’s NoHo 7, 5240 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.
Nanami (Haru Kuroki) is an apathetic, part-time junior high school teacher whose only solace comes from connecting with others on “Planet,” a new social network service. One day, a young man named Tetsuya (G? Jibiki) messages her and asks to meet in person. The two begin dating and quickly become engaged.
When Tetsuya begs Nanami to increase her guest list for the wedding, Nanami reaches out to online friend Amuro (G? Ayano), a self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, who hires actors to play Nanami’s guests on her big day. A few weeks following the ceremony, Tetsuya’s mother confronts Nanami with allegations of lying and cheating.
Heartbroken and despondent, Nanami checks herself into a hotel and manages to get hired there as a maid. One day, Amuro offers Nanami a housekeeping job in an old mansion, whose sole resident’s infectious spirit helps Nanami to open her heart. However, Nanami soon realizes that Amuro, the mansion, and its occupant aren’t what they seem — and even dreams have limits.
The cast also includes Cocco and Y?go Sas?.
Having received his education at Yokohama National University, Iwai started out in the entertainment industry by directing music videos and TV movies, including “Maria” (1992), “Fireworks,” for which he received the award for best newcomer from the Japanese Directors Association, and “Lunatic Love” (1994). He moved on to bigger things with his short film “Undo” (1994), followed by the hit “Swallowtail Butterfly” (1996), starring pop singer Chara. As his career progressed, he even more awards, especially for his films “Love Letter” (1995) and “All About Lily Chou-Chou” (2001).
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