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Veteran director Yoichi Higashi’s skillful evocation of childhood in rural Japan combines magical realism with coming-of-age sexual confusion that is all too genuine: Twin boys (Keigo and Shogo Matsuyama, pictured left to right) are told that the Thunder God will steal their penises if they frolic naked. The brothers, recently arrived in the small town, also have more mundane troubles, including a brutal surrogate father and resentful classmates. The film has been widely hailed as elegantly made and beautifully photographed, although some have criticized the story as lightweight or overly familiar. The script is based on the childhood of acclaimed illustrator Seizo Tashima and was co-written by Takehiro Nakajima, who directed Okoge, a rare look at Japanese gay culture. At 8 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s Ring Auditorium, 7th & Independence Ave SW. Free. (202) 357-2700. (Mark Jenkins)