New on Blu-ray: GREAT ABSCENCE / OINARU FUZAI (2023) - Acclaimed Japanese Drama Co-Written & Directed by Kei Chika-ura

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Product Description: When working actor Takashi receives a jarring call from the police, he is forced to reconnect with his estranged father of 20 years, Yohji — an esteemed academic slipping rapidly into dementia. As Takashi attempts to piece together the mystery of Yohji’s missing wife and the fractured life his father now inhabits, their reunion uncovers long-buried tensions and unspoken grief, forcing Takashi to trace the past of his father that he has long refused to accept.

Unfolding as a meditation on loss — of time, identity, and familial closeness never fully grasped — GREAT ABSENCE is a “delicately devastating” (Variety) award-winning drama from rising star director Kei Chikaura that navigates the fragile terrain of memory, estrangement, and the quiet devastations of aging.

Find out more about this DVD/Blu-ray release after the jump.

AFTER THE STORM Trailer, Clip, Images and Posters

The Japanese drama "After the Storm" ("Umi yori mo mada fukaku") tells the story of Shinoda Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) a private investigator who dwells on his past glory as a prize-winning author and spends the little money he earns on gambling instead of child support. Ryota struggles to take back control of his existence and to find a lasting place in the life of his young son (Taiyo Yoshizawa) - until a stormy summer night offers them a chance to truly bond again.

Written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, the film also stars Yôko Maki, Kirin Kiki, Satomi Kobayashi and Lily Franky.

"After the Storm" was nominated for the Un Certain Regard Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The film premiered in Japan on May 21st, 2016, and received a limited release in the U.S. on March 17th. Reviews have been generally positive.

Find out more about the movie after the jump.