Lonely Heart (Miss Lonely)

『さびしんぼう』 
Sabishinbou

40th Anniversary—Imported 16mm Print. The finale to Obayashi’s Onomichi trilogy, Lonely Heart is a nostalgic rite of passage, nestled in the familiar pathways of his hometown. Schoolboy Hiroki (Toshinori Omi) is an amateur photographer and hapless romantic, transfixed by a sad-looking girl at his school—his self-described “Lonely Heart.” However, his inexpressible feelings and longing are disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious girl in the convex of his camera lens: a mischievous, white-faced tomboy who goes by the name Lonely Heart. A feature that impressed Akira Kurosawa so much so that he asked his entire staff to watch it, Lonely Heart is a virtuosic recollection of first love and the intrinsic emotions that bubble to the surface; its bittersweet tristesse echoing through the melancholic refrain of Chopin’s Étude Op. 10, No. 3.

Print courtesy of The Japan Foundation.

Dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1985,  112 min., 16mm, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Toshinori Omi, Yasuko Tomita, Yumiko Fujita.

Part of Obayashi ’80s: The Onomichi Trilogy & Kadokawa Years
February 7—14, 2025

Image: © 1985 Toho Co. Ltd.

Japan Society programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Anime NYC and Yen Press. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, George P. Hirose, David Toberisky, Joseph Rajaratnam and Dharshini Iolanthe Sivakumaran, and Film Circle members.

Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the official Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film Program. Housing assistance is provided by the Prince Kitano New York, the official hotel sponsor of Japan Society Film Program.