Tony Takitani is a film made in 2004 in Japan and which is based on the eponymous short story by Haruki Murakami. I wanted to see it, so I contacted Filmlink magazine to find out if it would be released in Australia. They didn't know, but suggested I contact either Madman or Siren distributors, who would be likely to carry such a product. Siren replied in the negative, adding that "The sales of all things Japanese/Hong Kong have not met my expectations and that includes the Takashi Miike titles we have, that have a higher profile than a lot of Asian releases. We are reducing the number of foreign releases on Siren during 2006."

Madman did not reply to my e-mail. So I got in touch with Palace Cinemas in case they were in the running for the rights. Their reply: "We’re not aware of the film being purchased for Australia. It released straight-to-video in the USA through Strand Releasing, after premiering at last year’s Sundance Film Festival."

Another negative. Finally, the Internet came to my aid, with a link on the movie's Web site leading me to the world distribution company, who replied: "The film was only sold to TV in Australia (Pan TV Ltd and SBS)."

Although it was the weekend, I telephoned SBS who simply advised me to check my TV guide. They had no plans to screen it immediately, I was told. So I'll wait and keep my eyes peeled, and maybe I'll catch it before it disappears into the ether like the memory of a good story.

I also contacted Dendy, who replied: "It's unlikely that this film will get a theatrical release if already sold to TV. However, anything is possible with festivals and various events around town. The best way to find out would be to contact the sales agent (for whom the SBS buyer should have the contact details)."