The Hindu : New Delhi News : A peek into Japanese cinema

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

A peek into Japanese cinema

To mark Indian-Japan Friendship Year, the upcoming ninth edition of “Osian’s Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema” in the Capital will pay homage to the creative genius of Japanese cinema with a special curated section.

Titled “Focus on Japan”, it will have a selection of over 20 Japanese films that showcase the range and diversity of cinema of this country. A special feature of this section will be a tribute to Kenji Mizoguchi, one of Japan’s three great filmmakers, along with Yasujiro Ozu and Akira Kurosawa.

Regarded as quintessentially Japanese, Mizoguchi’s movies show no trace of any outside influence. Showcasing a self-contained unified world, Mizoguchi’s films offer something unique to film connoisseurs. Eight masterpieces made by Mizoguchi, who made 75 films before he died at the age of 58 in 1956, will be screened. The screening of Samurai films under “Focus on Japan” section assumes significance as the production of these films has fallen sharply in recent times. Film buffs will also get a peek into contemporary Japanese cinema. Family drama, fantasy and modern fairy tales, these movies will mingle with the real and the surreal, illusion and reality to show cinema lovers the creativity in Japan. This year, Tadao Sato, the noted author, historian and critic will be presented the Osian’s Cinefan 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Contribution to Cinema.

Madhur Tankha

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