Beyond Fest - Cloud / Chime

CLOUD, 2024, Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 124 mins, Nikkatsu, Japan

In Japanese with English subtitles.

In Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest, internet reseller Ryosuke Yoshii finds himself caught in a storm of online hatred when his plans to expand his business cause unforeseen harm.

Fusing modern technological advancement with age-old feelings of malice, Kurosawa crafts a tale of suspense, alienation, and cold-blooded murder in the way only he can— with precision and a spine-chilling atmosphere.

FORMAT: DCP

CHIME, 2024, Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 45 mins, Roadstead, Japan

In Japanese with English subtitles.

Matsuoka is a teacher at a culinary school. One day, a student, Tashiro, says something strange during the lesson: “There’s a noise, it’s like a chime. Someone is sending me a message.” The people running the school warn him that Tashiro’s a little odd, but Matsuoka isn’t bothered by it at all and continues treating him normally. However, on another day, Tashiro says, “Half of my brain has been replaced with a machine,” and takes drastic action to prove it. Some days after the incident with Tashiro, Matsuoka is teaching a female student, Akemi. Matsuoka continues teaching unenthusiastically but when she complains that a whole chicken leaves her feeling uncomfortable something incomprehensible overtakes him. Both at the school and at home, a strange dread begins to undulate in his ordinary existence…

FORMAT: DCP