The Chicago Japan Film Collective (CJFC) announces Backstreet Cinema Series Vol. 2, featuring two extraordinary Japanese documentary films that explore the power, emotion, and history behind Japan’s most iconic cultural expressions: Godzilla and Taiko drumming.
Following the successful launch of the series in September, CJFC continues its mission to bring diverse and meaningful Japanese cinema experiences to Chicago and beyond, building toward its 5th Anniversary Festival in 2026.
Sunday, December 14, 2025 – 10:30 AM: Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director by Jonathan BellésA rare and intimate portrait of Ishiro Honda, the visionary creator of Godzilla (1954) and lifelong artistic partner to Akira Kurosawa. Through wartime memories, reflections on nuclear trauma, and decades behind the lens, Honda’s cinematic voice shaped not only Japan, but global popular culture.
Special Guests: Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle
Both internationally recognized Honda scholars, co-authors of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, From Godzilla to Kurosawa. They will join audiences for a post-screening panel conversation exploring Honda’s legacy and contributions to cinema.
Sunday, December 21, 2025 – 10:30 AM
Shiver by TOYODA Toshiaki
An immersive, dialogue-free sensory experience chronicling the world-renowned taiko ensemble Kodo. Through rhythm, movement, and breath, the film captures the raw human energy behind traditional drumming — power, discipline, nature, and heartbeat as one.
Special Guests: Live Performance by Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai
Following the film, Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai will present a traditional Eisa drum and dance performance inside the theater.
Together, these films evoke the physical intensity, emotional depth, and cultural heritage of Japan — where sound and movement become art, memory, and identity.
Each screening will be followed by a special guest program, offering audiences an opportunity to further explore the film’s themes and cultural context.
VENUE INFORMATION
FACETS
1517 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago
A nonprofit (501c3) hub for independent film in Chicago, accessible via CTA Red/Brown Lines and Fullerton bus routes.
TICKET INFORMATION
- General Admission: $15
- Students: $12
- Online Access: $10
- Group Tickets (4+ people): 20% off total purchase in a single transaction
- Classroom / Academic Access: Available for educators
(Please contact info@cjfc.us for educational booking)
For In-theater tickets (limited to 120 seats per day) VISIT HERE
Online Screening (Dec 12–21)
Ishirō Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director will be available online from December 12–21. For online ticket sales beginning December 12: VISIT HERE
Viewers will have 48 hours to watch after clicking “Watch Now.”
*Note: SHIVER will be screened in-theater only.
FILM INFORMATION
Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director
[Jonathan Bellés | Documentary | Spain | 2024 | 65 min. |(c)2024 Daifilms]
Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director explores the life and career of Japanese director Ishiro Honda, focusing on his films, war experiences, and friendship with Akira Kurosawa.
Shiver | 戦慄せしめよ
[TOYODA Toshiaki | Music, Avant-Garde | Japan | 2021 | 89 min. |©Etto]
This 89-minute invisible sound by TOYODA Toshiaki vibrates the mind and soul, capturing the powerful collaboration between HINO Koshiro and Kodo, the world-famous taiko ensemble from Sado Island.
The Chicago Japan Film Collective, established in 2021, is the Midwest’s first and only Japanese film festival. CJFC showcases independent Japanese cinema by focusing on diverse creative voices, while deepening cultural understanding through film, conversation, and community events.
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