APUC Film Screening: The Imaginary Dog and the Lying Cat (架空の犬と嘘をつく猫) Japan

Japan | Drama | 2025 | 125 minutes  

In Japanese w/ English Subtitles  

Director: Yukihiro Morigaki  

Screenwriter: Tomoe Kanno 

Starring: Mahiro Takasugi, Marika Ito, Mai Fukagawa, Yuko Ando 

Film Source: Pony Canyon 

Eight-year-old Yamabuki is caught between members of his dysfunctional family. To cope with their antics, he starts petting an imaginary dog. Twenty-five years later, when Yamabuki’s grandmother, who had been holding the family together over the years, dies, the family reunites once again. Will their differences finally be resolved, or will old wounds be laid bare again? 

Director Yukihiro Morigaki takes a restrained approach to a chaotic dysfunctional family with his adaptation of Haruna Terachi’s novel. Showing that the destructive power of grief can consume people like a black hole, the film asks a compelling question: Is it acceptable to feed each other with lies if they can keep a family together?  

SPECIAL GUEST: Intro and Q&A with director Yukihiro Morigaki  

Yukihiro Morigaki, Director

IMPORTANT TICKET INFORMATION

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Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Come early, grab your seat, and enjoy the experience!