[Hankyu Railway - A 15-Minute Miracle] sounds vaguely archaic, perhaps suggesting a collection of weak cliches made to promote the Kansai train network, funded by the local council. Surprisingly, this film blurs any prejudgements through very real, lonely and powerless ordinary people simply helping each other. The result: a moving masterpiece reminding the Japanese people of the true value of mutual help. Based on Arikawa Hiroshi’s series of short stories, this film tells multiple parallel stories eventually connecting 8 characters and their various crises on a 15-minute train journey. It shows good will spreading contagiously and making strangers′ lives better. The film stars Miyamoto Nobuko, the wife of renowned director, Itami Juzo and a celebrated actress in her own right, Nakatani Miki, best known for [Rikidozan: A Hero Extraordinary], and Toda Erika, a rising star for the next generation of film fans. This stellar cast understandably engages the audience, but refreshingly welcome is the fine work by Miyake Yoshishige in his debut feature film, an unexpected result for a director best known for television. (Shion YANG)