日本

Japan's Classics

June 2021 Issue

Rock isn’t just a genre—it’s a culture, a way of life. Some may seem bizarre or outrageous, but they’re actually artistic geniuses. Some pioneered new sounds that shaped generations. Some wielded the pen like a sword, turning rock into a cultural force. Some stood tall against oppressive regimes, refusing to unclench their fists. Giloo presents 11 essential rock documentaries. So if anyone ever asks you what rock is, just tell them: watch these films. Don’t ask me what rock means—feel it.

Asian View

A single grain of rice nourishes a hundred kinds of people—though rooted in Asia, each land holds its own distinct character. Giloo presents ten handpicked documentaries on customs and religions, journeying from East Asia to Central Asia to reveal the countless faces of this vast continent.

Classic Movie Soundtracks

Sometimes, music captures a fleeting moment more fully than images ever could. The piano theme from Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence suspends time, drifting through the gunpowder-scented air of Java. Takeshi Kobayashi’s lush symphonies send the Swallowtail Butterfly fluttering, while a mysterious chanteuse hums the blurred lines between reality and youth. In Maborosi, guitar and erhu compose a haunting melancholy. Hop aboard Giloo’s time machine, built from melody and memory, and return to every moment that once moved you.

Cruel Stories of Youth: The classic series of Iwai Shunji

"To me, only Lily Chou-Chou is real." Japanese auteur Shunji Iwai carved out some of the most unforgettable depictions of the pain and poetry of youth. His films delve not only into school days and adolescence, but also bullying, loss, and the end-of-century malaise. He portrays girls in corrupted cities, women with voices that heal, and parables of a world teetering on the edge. He launched the careers of singers Salyu and Chara, and captured Aoi Yuu in her most ethereal dance. With his singular visual style and impeccable taste in music, Iwai's works have captivated audiences across Asia for over two decades. Now streaming exclusively on Giloo: "All About Lily Chou-Chou", "Swallowtail Butterfly", and "Hana and Alice". Revisit the unforgettable world of Shunji Iwai.

Giloo Classics: Family Happiness

In pursuit of happiness, we sometimes end up unhappy. Youth is always dazzling—and cruel. Family ties are always volatile—and tender. Yet it’s often only in the aftermath of youth that we begin to understand: happiness cannot be frozen in time. This sticky, sun-drenched summer, Giloo presents 11 masterworks on family and fleeting joy—beginning with Shunji Iwai’s All About Lily Chou-Chou and closing with Edward Yang’s Yi Yi. From Ang Lee’s Father Knows Best trilogy to Tsai Ming-liang’s Water Trilogy, with appearances by Hou Hsiao-hsien and Hirokazu Kore-eda along the way, each film explores the paradox of happiness, or perhaps the quiet truth that happiness—like memory—can never be held still.