KARACHI: A two-day Japanese Film Festival kicked off at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi in collaboration with the Pakistan Japan Cultural Association here on Wednesday evening.

Acclaimed movies of the Japanese cinema would be screened at the event.

The first film screened on the first day was Dad’s Lunch Box, directed by Masakazu Fukatsu, which focuses on the themes of emotional connection, loneliness and the beauty of family relationships.

Prior to the film’s screening, Consul General of Japan ODAGIRI Toshio said films were an important vehicle for cultural exchange, strengthening bonds and creating an understanding among people. Talking about the movie, he said it was based on a true story and represented some aspects of the Japanese culture.

Eminent writer, artist and humorist Anwar Maqsood said there were best and highly creative film directors in Japan and the Japanese cinema had produced some of the best films in the world, adding that most of his favourite movies were Japanese.

Dad’s Lunch Box is about a newly-divorced father who has to prepare lunch for his daughter, Midori, for three years while she is in her high school. However, his initial attempts to prepare lunch turn out be not so good and cause a sense of embarrassment to Midori in front of her friends. But despite his awful attempts, her father — a hard-working salaried man — is bent upon winning her approval by making the perfect lunch box.

And then follows a warm story of the growing bond between the father and daughter, making the audiences realise the age-old sentiment that family connections are also best built through food along with love and small gestures of kindness.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023