From June 19th to 26th, as part of the program in Varaždin, Zagreb, Rijeka, Biograd, Zadar, and Dubrovnik, you will have the opportunity to meet the Japanese film crew and enjoy a fashion show along with a documentary film about incredible dedication, vision, and will in preserving Japanese treasures.

The domestic audience is increasingly offered programs and events for cultural exchange with Japan, such as concerts, traditional art exhibitions, martial arts demonstrations, and recently a film festival. Organized by the Japan Croatia Society since 2021, the Croatia Film Festival in Japan promotes recent Croatian film achievements. Recognized as an exceptional cultural event, the festival receives nominal support from the embassies of both countries. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Croatia and Japan, the 1st Japanese Film Festival was held in November 2023, showcasing six Japanese films in Croatia. The festival opened with the documentary „Friendly Souls“ – a biography of Hokiichi Hanawa (May 5, 1746 – September 12, 1821) directed by Masato Osata.

The film tells the true story of a blind Japanese national scholar who, during his many travels across Japan, memorized numerous Japanese myths and legends and engaged people to carve them into wooden plates to be printed and preserved for future generations. He collected and published a vast collection of about 670 volumes of Japanese national history and literature. Thanks to his dedication to preserving this precious heritage, the ancient stories of Japan have not been forgotten and have become a cornerstone of Japanese culture. The longest-reigning Japanese emperor, Hirohito, considered Hanawa Hokiichi’s work a national treasure. Beyond Japan, Hokiichi was also an inspiration and role model for the American author Helen Keller, the first deaf-blind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Hanawa Hokiichi’s life mission was for the benefit of the entire world and future generations, so the Japan Croatia Society initiated a project to introduce the world to his life work through international screenings of the film „Friendly Souls.“ The first screening was held at the Japanese Embassy in London in September 2023, and the international promotion of the Hokiichi Hanawa – World Film Movement begins in Croatia. You can watch the true story of dedication, will, and vision that preserved Japanese treasures from June 19th to 26th in Varaždin (Kino Gaj, June 19), Zagreb (Urania, June 20), Rijeka (Kostrena Cultural Center, June 22), Biograd na Moru (City Hall Square, June 23), Zadar (Kino Zona Zadar, June 25), and Dubrovnik (Slavica Open-Air Cinema, June 26). The project is supported by the Japanese Embassy in Croatia and admission is free.

Alongside each screening, there will be an accompanying program featuring a fashion show by Japanese fashion designer Ikuyo Umezawa from Kyoto, who creates highly acclaimed, elegant, and original creations by combining traditional clothing with Japanese kimono materials. The World Film Movement will also present the entire Japanese film crew to the local audience, who will shoot a short film about their visit to Croatia to promote each Croatian festival destination at every future screening worldwide and on popular digital platforms.