Out of competition films
Koe no Katachi
A Silent Voice
by Naoko Yamada – Japan, 2016
(129', O.V. with italian subtitles)
The story revolves around Shoya Ishida, a former delinquent who bullied Shoko Nishimiya, his deaf classmate, alongside his friends back when he was in elementary school. When Nishimiya transferred, all of his friends and teachers turned against him, making him isolated well into high school to the point that he decides that there is no point in having friends. Having no plans for the future, Ishida even contemplates on committing suicide until he suddenly reunites with Nishimiya, who is still lonely due to her shyness. Realizing that both are suffering due to his past sins, Ishida sets out on a path of redemption by trying to reconnect Nishimiya with their old classmates that Nishimiya never had the chance to befriend back then. Both go through a series of life changing events to define friendship and love.
Naoko Yamada
Naoko Yamada is a japaneese director, animator and screenwriter born in the Gunma prefecture in 1984. She works at Kyoto Animation studios and has directed the Tv series K-On! and the movie A Silent Voice (2016)