‘Third Murder,’ ‘Parks’ to Be Screened at Japan Foundation

The Japan Foundation Los Angeles, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 100, in Los Angeles, screens recent Japanese films every second and fourth Friday at 7 p.m. This month’s offerings:

• June 13 — “The Third Murder” (2017, 124 minutes). Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for “Shoplifters,” turns his own original script into this psychological thriller. Making his first appearance in a Kore-eda film, Koji Yakusho co-stars with Masaharu Fukuyama, who reteams with Kore-eda for the first in four years since “Like Father, Like Son.”

Misumi (Yakusho), who had been previously convicted of murder, is once again indicted for killing and setting on fire the president of the company that laid him off. His lawyer, Shigemori (Fukuyama), begins investigating Misumi in order to file for life imprisonment instead of the death penalty. However, as his investigation continues, an uncomfortable feeling slowly develops within Shigemori.

• June 27 — “Parks” (2017, 118 minutes), directed by Natsuki Seta, commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Inokashira Park in western Tokyo. Haru (Mei Nagano), a high school girl, comes to Kichijoji looking for Sachiko (Shizuka Ishibashi), the woman mentioned in a love letter of Haru’s late father. Currently living at Sachiko’s address is Jun (Ai Hashimoto), a female university student who loves playing guitar. Jun becomes interested in Haru’s cause, and together they start to search for Sachiko’s family house, where they meet Sachiko’s grandson, Tokio (Shota Sometani). He tells them that Sachiko passed away just recently.

Later, Tokio finds a reel-to-reel tape in Sachiko’s belongings. Apparently, Shinpei (Ryu Morioka) and Sachiko used to play music together, and the tape contains a song sung by the couple. However, the tape is damaged and they cannot hear the song to the end. Tokio, Haru, and Jun decide to complete the song themselves.

Screenings are free and reservations are not required. Street parking is available. For more information, call (323) 761-7510 or visit www.jflalc.org.