Shinji Somai was one of the most fascinating and accomplished Japanese filmmakers of the 1980s and 90s, directing an eclectic mix of 13 films before he died in 2001 at just 53 years of age. We’re delighted to present one of his most celebrated masterpieces at this year’s JFF. Typhoon Club (1983) - now regarded as one of the greatest Japanese films of the 1980s - is a vivid, hypnotic coming-of-age drama about a group of students stuck in their high school during a storm. The teenagers explore their creativity, autonomy and darker urges during a chaotic night on the school grounds.