On April 26 & April 28, come discover the amazing history of marathon running, a solitary sport turned universal passion and arena of women’s advocacy for emancipation, with the movie “Free to run” by Swiss director Pierre Morath at Institut Français in Tokyo.
The movie “Free to run” by Swiss director Pierre Morath, projected on April 26 & 28, traces marathon’s expansion from the stadiums and onto the streets, as well as women’s fight for the right to participate in this discipline. The film includes first-time archive footage and interviews with marathoner and social activist Kathrine Switzer, New York City Marathon founder Fred Lebow, legendary runner Steve Prefontaine, and various others who have contributed to making the marathon so popular.
Get your the tickets : April 26 at 18:30 & April 28 at 15:30
Sports & Cinema Festival from April 25 to April 28
To celebrate this Olympic and Paralympic year and on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of bilateral relations between Switzerland and Japan, the Institut Français, with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan and its Vitality.Swiss program, is highlighting the links between sport and cinema from April 25 to 28. This Sports & Cinema festival will feature films from around the world showcasing different facets of iconic disciplines (marathon, baseball, boxing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, etc.). Particular emphasis will be placed on the relationship between women and sport, as an arena for struggle and a factor in emancipation (Les Sorcières de l’Orient, Free to run, Naissance des pieuvres, La beauté du geste).
The festival will feature a number of prestigious guest speakers for some exceptional encounters: Florent Dabadie (sports journalist, festival patron), Sho Miyake (film director, online presentation), Julien Faraut (documentary film director, online presentation), Mastumura Katsumi (volleyball player, gold medallist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics).
The Institut will also have the pleasure of presenting Marie Patouillet, famous French Paralympic cyclist, bronze medallist at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, who will talk about her career and her sources of inspiration for the cinema (talk online).
Program
- Birth ofoctopuses by Céline Sciamma (France/2007/85’) - swimming
- L’Empire de la perfection by Julien Faraut (France/2017/90’) - tennis
- Free to run by Pierre Morath (Swiss-France- Belgique /2016/100’) - marathon
- Les Sorcières de l’Orient by Julien Faraut (France/2021/100’) - volleyball
- Up the river by John Ford (USA/1930/92’) - baseball
- La Beauté du geste by Sho Miyake (Japan/2022/99’) - boxing
Official page of the Sports & Cinema festival (in French)