OZU IN 6 FILMS
120 years since the birth of Yasujiro Ozu
6 rare or unreleased films: Women and thugs , He Was a Father , A Landlord's Tale , A Woman in the Wind , The Munakata Sisters , Last Whim
Yasujiro Ozu (1903-1963) is today the most celebrated Japanese filmmaker in the world. Of the same generation as Kenji Mizoguchi and Mikio Naruse, he worked from the 1920s to the 1960s, developing his own unique style and visual language. A filmmaker of family and the passage of time, Ozu depicted the 20th century in a way that was both minimalist and spectacular, making an enduring contribution to cinema. To mark the 120th anniversary of his birth and the 60th anniversary of his death, six rare or previously unreleased films are being shown in restored versions. From Women and Hooligans (1933), a silent thriller under Hollywood influence, to Last Whim [1961], a comedy with melancholic hues, via There Was a Father (1942), a drama about filiation finally shown in an unreleased version, to Tale of a Landlord (1947), a tender comedy about childhood, A Woman in the Wind (1948), a moving marital drama, and The Munakata Sisters (1950), a sharp comedy about generational differences, these six works allow us to understand the universal reach of the most eternal Japanese filmmaker.
Pascal-Alex Vincent teaches at the Sorbonne Nouvelle. Author of two dictionaries of Japanese cinema (Carlotta Films), he has also directed documentaries about stars Akihiro Miwa, Kinuyo Tanaka, and Keiko Kishi. This work complements his book * Yasujiro Ozu: A Family Affair* (La Martinière, 208 pages, 240 photos).