I saw a double feature of ” The Bibi Files ” and “Vlny (WAVES) ” at the Azumaza art house theater in Shiojiri. Both films tell the story of corrupt power that robs people of their freedom and the people who stand up to it. In ” The Bibi Files ,” Netanyahu teams up with an ultra-right-wing political party (a bunch of racists!) to maintain his power. It’s frightening to see similar developments in Japan recently. Those who seek to suppress the media through power label those who advocate freedom as “fascists,” as in Israel and Czechoslovakia in the 1960s.

The Azumaza manager introduced me to the film I was about to see before the screening, which I found to be a special touch at an art house theater. It seems it will continue for another 20 years. It was a rural movie theater, with a pornographic film playing next door. It was a weekday night. There were about five people in the audience. The experience of immersing myself in the story in the dark is always wonderful. I hope film culture continues forever. And may we be free.