Just after the Second World War, the arrival of a city girl (Takamine Hideko) and her friend (Kobayashi Toshiko) attracts curiosity from the residents of a rural mountain village.

The girl’s name is Okin, and although she once called this very village home, she now claims to have become an artistic dancer in Tokyo under the stage name of Carmen.

The principal of the village school (Chishu Ryu), a self-professed champion of the arts, is overjoyed to learn that his tiny village has produced such an esteemed artist, but when he witnesses Carmen and her friend’s dress sense and behaviour, he and the other villagers are confused and even upset.

One day, determined to decorate her hometown with the brocade she prides herself on, Carmen agrees to showcase her dancing skills for the villagers…

An iconic light-hearted comedy, Carmen Comes Home remains one of master filmmaker Kinoshita Keisuke’s (The Snow Flurry, JFTFP24) most beloved films, exploring the shifts and disparities in post-war Japanese moral standards.

It also bears great historic significance as the first ever Japanese feature film produced in full colour.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2025

Am I Right? Justice, Justification and Judgement in Japanese Cinema

The UK’s biggest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP), is back for its latest and greatest instalment!

Featuring everything from thought-provoking hidden gems to laugh-a-minute entertainment, UK audiences are invited to join us in questioning the very concepts of justice, justification, and judgement against today’s backdrop of ever-changing values and perspectives. 

See all our The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2025 screenings!

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Image Credits: ©1951/2012 Shochiku Co., Ltd.