Monster at New People Cinema

SCREENING AT NEW PEOPLE CINEMA in JAPANTOWN (1746 POST ST.)

Part of Nippon Vibes: Japanese Cinema Weekend at New People

Following its reopening in historic San Francisco Japantown, New People Cinema continues its collaboration with The Roxie through a series of Japanese cinema pop-ups. After launching earlier this year, Nippon Vibes returns for its second edition—this time built around the theme “Reframing.” Through the eyes of Japan’s most visionary filmmakers across generations, join us for a cinematic journey that reshapes how you see the world and its “truth.”

Acclaimed Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to Japan with a powerful, deeply humane story of love, perspective, and childhood, featuring a final score by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

When quiet young Minato (Sōya Kurokawa), who lives with his single mother (Sakura Andō), begins behaving strangely—insisting his brain has been switched with a pig’s—suspicions fall on his teacher (Eita Nagayama). But as the story unfolds through shifting perspectives in a Rashomon-like structure, the truth proves far more complex, revealing hidden emotional currents and an unexpected bond between two boys navigating bullying and isolation.

With his signature sensitivity, Kore-eda crafts a nuanced portrait of childhood and the fragile dynamics between adults and children. Written with Sakamoto Yûji and featuring Sakamoto’s final score, Monster is a quietly devastating addition to one of contemporary cinema’s most essential filmographies.

Presented by Roxie @ New People. Co-Presented by Japan Society of Northern California