AllMovie

A man who has struggled to leave his old life behind finds he might need to return to it for his own good in this comedy-drama from director Naoki Kato. Jonen (Suneohair) is a Buddhist monk who teaches at a temple in Fukushima, but when he was younger he followed a different path: he was the singer and guitarist with a punk rock band in Tokyo, letting out torrents of rage at every show. Jonen leads a quieter and more contemplative life now, trying to help the community and look after his wife (Rie Tomosaka) and son (Taku Yamaguchi). But he often finds himself confused and out of sorts, and when he explodes in anger while speaking to a visiting group of teenagers, Jonen decides he needs to start making music again as an outlet for his emotions. The master of the temple, Genshu (Kaoru Kobayashi), thinks this is a fine idea, but some are wary when Jonen starts making plans for a show in the quiet village a stone's throw from the temple. Aburakurasu No Matsuri (aka Abraxas) was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.