Japan Foundation to Screen ‘Samurai Cat’

Kazuki Kitamura as Kyutaro Madarame.

The Japan Foundation Los Angeles, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles, will screen “Samurai Cat” (100 minutes, 2014), directed by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi, on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m.

Starring acclaimed actor Kazuki Kitamura as Kyutaro Madarame, a masterless samurai, the madcap “Neko Samurai” wonders aloud: “What if we mashed up two of Japan’s most beloved cultural icons, the samurai and the cat?” The result: one of the most delightfully cute comedies to come from Japan in some time.

A dog-loving clan hires Madarame, penniless and out of work; his task is to assassinate the prized white cat of a rival, cat-loving clan (the two clans have been fiercely battling for centuries, we learn). But when Madarame melts at the sight of the cat, failing at his duty and kidnapping the feline, both clans seek to exact revenge on the samurai, and the imminent showdown will test the newly inaugurated “cat person.”

In Japanese with English subtitles. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q6mcx2qF4Q

JFLA provides high-quality Japanese film screenings every second and fourth Wednesday. Free to attend. Reservation is not required.

For more information, call (323) 761-7510 or visit www.jflalc.org.

Street parking is available: www.jflalc.org/about-us.html#parking