The Friends (New Restoration)

It’s the dog days of summer vacation. Up to no good, a group of three wily young friends discover a decrepit house and the old coot who lives there all alone. They begin to spy on him, expecting to find his corpse when he dies. But soon, as they learn the sad story behind his present wretchedness, the boys develop a touching bond with the old-timer. They even help replant his overgrown garden. Shinji Somai’s follow-up to his acclaimed Moving is a comic spectacle of movement and play and a stirring contemplation on time’s ravages and delights. Evoking other preteen anarchist masterpieces like Typhoon Club and P.P. Rider, the film is another testament to Somai’s singular ability to enter into the unruly world of children, using his liberated long takes to stir up the energies of a raucous ensemble of first-time performers. (Shinji Somai, Japan, 1994, 113 min.) In Japanese with English subtitles

You may also like the following events from Lightbox Film Center:

• Next month, 3rd September, 07:00 pm, Little, Big, and Far (Philadelphia Premiere) in Philadelphia
• Next month, 10th September, 07:00 pm, 7 Walks with Mark Brown in Philadelphia
• Next month, 17th September, 07:00 pm, Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass in Philadelphia

Also check out other Entertainment events in Philadelphia, Performances in Philadelphia.