News

Japanese drama The Longing has secured a sales agent ahead of its world premiere here in Panorama.

Belgium’s Axxon Media has landed sales rights to the social drama, directed and co-written by Toshizo Fujiwara, which will have its first public screening at the Zoo Palast on Wednesday (February 19).

The story centres on a couple who run a restaurant and employ ex-youth offenders to help support their rehabilitation. A young man is hired and becomes infatuated with a fellow former juvenile detainee, gradually losing himself as he grows isolated at the restaurant.

Produced by Toshizo Produce and based on Fujiwara...

Comprising international premieres, short programs, and some of the country’s finest-ever films in new restorations, 2024’s Japan Cuts––running July 10-21 at New York’s Japan Society––is upon us. As one of North America’s sole festivals devoted to new voices in Japanese cinema, it’s likely your only opportunity to see many titles in a theatrical space. Though one can feel a bit dizzy looking through everything, we’re glad to distill it––from masters to nascent talents and, along the way, a few absolute classics given much-deserved restorations.

All the Long Nights (Shô Miyake)

Shô Miyake’s All the Long Nights is a film about small things: decency, kindness, why people help each other out, how those acts can inspire others. The first character we meet is Misa (Mone Kamishiraishi), a sensitive type who suffers from premenstrual syndrome. In the opening scene, this causes Misa to lose her cool at work,...

Mubi’s retrospective Takeshi Kitano: Destroy All Yakuza—featuring Violent Cop, Boiling Point, and Outrage Coda—is now showing in the United States, Canada, and select countries.Kubi.The presidential suite of the Grand Hotel Yerevan sits at the end of an amber-lit, carpeted corridor. The door comes fitted with its own CCTV camera, the concierge proudly gloats as an elevator slingshots us several floors above the ground, “so guests can feel safer.” Not that the current occupant has much to worry about. Guarding the suite on this exceptionally hot July afternoon is a small platoon of suit-clad Japanese men, looking equally stern and jet-lagged. The lucky few who get to pad in and out of the room do so in reverential silence, and even those outside speak in hushed voices, lest he should be disturbed. "He" is somewhere in the suite right now, and his name is Takeshi Kitano.

For all their grisly mayhem, the earliest films by Takeshi Kitano all demonstrated a keen grasp of negation. Violence was an omnipresent fixture of his first crime capers––from Violent Cop (1989) to Fireworks (1997)––but it unfolded in hiccups. The director enjoyed trading in tantalizing elisions, and his most gruesome scenes would often leave the action offscreen, offering a set-up and aftermath while cutting the most dramatic moments––an approach that would become more frequent after A Scene at the Sea (1991), the first feature he’d edit himself. It was as if Kitano had realized the most visceral shots were those left on the cutting room floor and proceeded to fashion those early projects on an iceberg principle: prodding one to imagine the bloodletting without ever displaying it in full. It was a style predicated on absence; it made the violence all the more vivid, the films all the more original.

Even though “Sonatine” was only his fourth film as a director, for many fans and critics it is still one of the best by Takeshi Kitano and arguably an important milestone in his career as it received much international attention, thanks to directors like Quentin Tarantino, whose production company decided to release “Sonatine” as one of their first titles for American audiences. However, for Kitano himself, the importance of this film is much more personal as it is artistic, evident in the title of the movie itself, which himself explains as an indicator that he finally was able to use the various devices and means within the medium on a basic level, similar to a student of the piano practicing basic pieces. All modesty aside, “Sonatine” is quite an impressive movie which not only continues its director’s themes of deconstruction, but also the idea of how beauty is connected to death.

Kitano Takeshi, a contemporary icon of Japanese cinema, is to receive a lifetime achievement award next month at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.

“A legendary artist on Friday the 29th of April will receive the Golden Mulberry Award for lifetime achievement on the stage of Feff 24,” the festival announced Friday with barely concealed delight.

Kitano who has film credits as writer, director, producer and performer, as well as a whole TV comedy career, is known for the brutal sergeant he played alongside David Bowie and Sakamoto Ryuichi in Oshima Nagisa’s “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” and for incursions into Hollywood in “Johnny Mnemonic” and “Ghost in the Shell.”

His Japanese oeuvre ranges from fine art to gangster genre thriller. He has credits in film noir (“Violent Cop”), romance (“A Scene at the Sea”), drama masterpieces and hard-boiled cult saga “Outrage.”

“For Far East Film Festival 24, a truly...

After winning the Golden Lion Award at the 1997 Venice Film Festival for “Hana-Bi”, the interest in Takeshi Kitano’s works as a director was at its peak, with many calling him one of the most important filmmakers in today’s Japan, even going so far as to compare him to Akira Kurosawa. While the international fame was certainly not unwelcome, Kitano could not help but notice the shift between the media attention he received in his home country versus the way he was now perceived in other countries, but also how he was associated with the yakuza-genre and the themes within it. In a way, his next feature “Kikujiro” can be viewed as a means to show a different side to his persona and his work, one which had already been present in “Kids Return” or “A Scene at the Sea”, and also an exploration into a genre he had not done before,...

Even though “Sonatine” was only his fourth film as a director, for many fans and critics it is still one of the best by Takeshi Kitano and arguably an important milestone in his career as it received much international attention, thanks to directors like Quentin Tarantino, whose production company decided to release “Sonatine” as one of their first titles for American audiences. However, for Kitano himself, the importance of this film is much more personal as it is artistic, evident in the title of the movie itself, which himself explains as an indicator that he finally was able to use the various devices and means within the medium on a basic level, similar to a student of the piano practicing basic pieces. All modesty aside, “Sonatine” is quite an impressive movie which not only continues its director’s themes of deconstruction, but also the idea of how beauty is connected to death.

The last year has been great for Kitano Takeshi fans. While the director's recent output hasn't exactly set the world on fire outside of his two Outrage films, home video collectors have encountered a wealth of treasures as his early films have become available on Blu-ray for the first time in 2016. Most of these features came to us by way of UK specialist label Third Window Films, who've previous released Hana-bi, Kikujiro, Dolls, and A Scene at the Sea, and continue their winning record with Kids Return. However, now there's another label helping to fill in the gaps, Film Movement with their recent releases of Kitano's first two directorial features, Violent Cop and Boiling Point. Are they worth the upgrade? Check out our thoughts...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Third Window Films continues their collection of Takeshi Kitano Blu-rays with a revisit of his 1991 film, A Scene at the Sea. At the time Kitano was still seen largely as a comeic performer and his first two films started to change that perception and give him a small taste of international recognition. However, it is with A Scene at the Sea, his third feature as a director, that Kitano really showed the film world his skill set. Not only was it his first film as a director that didn't feature him in an acting role, it also distanced itself from the previous two yakuza driven features and proved that Kitano is a force ot be reckoned with and a truew artist, rather than a...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

★★★★☆ Having directed two crime films, Japanese director Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano downshifted in 1991 with A Scene at the Sea, a simple and direct fable about a young deaf man who becomes obsessed with surfing. Working as a garbage man, Shigeru (Claude Maki), finds a broken surf board and takes it home to repair it. Initially hopeless at surfing, and mocked by his footballing peers, Shigeru perseveres, over time becoming more skilled and entering a competition. That's really all there is to the story, but as with all Kitano's films the real drama is to be found between the moments of action.

Third Window Films in the UK is gearing up for their next couple of releases for the autumn season with Takeshi Kitano's A Scene at the Sea this week and Kids Return next month, but that is far from the end of their awesome slate for 2016. In December, Third Window will release an exclusive Blu-ray box set featuring the early films of Japanese filmmaker Toyoda Toshiaki. This box set will include three of Toyoda's first features in high definition for the first time. Here's the box set's synopsis as it was given to us when we announced it in June: One of our favourite directors from Japan is Toshiaki Toyoda, and we will first release a Blu-ray set which focuses on his earlier works...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Scene at the Sea / Kids Return

UK company Third Window Films have announced the release of two more movie classics from the Japanese master-director, Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Fireworks), both remastered using new 2K transfers received directly from Office Kitano.

A Scene at the Sea releases first on September 12th, this time with a fascinating audio commentary by Midnight Eye’s very own Japanese cinema expert, Jasper Sharp. A Scene at the Sea tells the story of a young hearing-impaired couple’s discovery of surfing and their growing love for it. This film is sure to appeal to fans of Kitano’s quieter pieces.

Next up on October 24th is Kids Return, beautifully remastered and featuring a compelling audio commentary by Yale University’s professor of Japanese cinema, Aaron Gerow, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film back in 1996. Highly regarded amongst Kitano aficionados for...

Earlier this year, UK- distributor Third Window Films released three films by writer/actor/director Kitano Takeshi, and these turned out to be pretty awesome. For starters, each of these had distinctive yet aligned new cover art. Well, if you were a fan of these releases, continue to rejoice. Third Window Films has announced similar editions for two more films by Kitano: in September we'll get 1991's A Scene at the Sea, followed in October by 1996' Kids Return. There's no news yet about extras, but what we do know is that these releases will feature the same distinctive artwork-style as the previous three (seen here) did. So here is a small gallery of those two covers. Both titles can currently be pre-ordered already....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

All feature new 2K remasters from Office Kitano!

The first 1000 copies of each feature cardboard slipcases with new illustrated artwork by Marie Bergeron supported by Filmdoo’s Film Creativity Competition.

All 3 now available to pre-order at: http://amzn.to/20wQ1BA

Hana-bi – January 11th

30 minute documentary from the film’s original release

Interview with Takeshi Kitano from the film’s original release

New Audio commentary by film critic Mark Schilling

New trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwTWtAE3ylY

Kikujiro – February 22nd

Jam Session – 90 minute documentary on Kikujiro directed by the award-winning Japanese director Makoto Shinozaki

Dolls – March 14th

Interviews with Takeshi Kitano, Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima & Yohij Yamamoto

Behind the Scenes

Video from the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival

Takeshi Kitano – Biography

The success of Hana-bi has confirmed Takeshi Kitano as a leading figure of international cinema. Among its numerous awards, Hana-bi won the Golden...

I interviewed Takeshi Kitano, aka "Beat" Takeshi, in spring of 2001 regarding "Brother," his first film shot on American soil. Kitano is arguably, still, the biggest star in Japan, one whose influence crosscuts virtually all areas of media.

Memories: Kitano was surrounded by a small entourage of Japanese men, one of whom was his interpreter. He was formal and stoic in his interaction with me, but never unfriendly. As Sofia Coppola so deftly portrayed in "Lost in Translation," the English to Japanese process of translating can often be time-consuming for what amounts to seemingly little that's been said. Kitano rarely made eye contact or smiled, although when he would laugh softly, a crooked grin would form on one side of his mouth, the right. The other striking thing about Kitano's appearance was a tic, or slight tremor, that would appear on the left side of his face, the after-effect of a...

Takeshi Kitano’s Office Kitano to receive Premio Raimondo Rezzonico award.

Takeshi Kitano’s production company Office Kitano is to be feted at Locarno with the Premio Raimondo Rezzonico award, bestowed upon a risk-taking independent producer or company.

Office Kitano officially became a production company in 1991, producing actor-director Kitano’s third feature, A Scene at the Sea. All of Kitano’s films have been produced under the label since.

Office Kitano president Masayuki Mori began producing films with other directors in 1998, beginning with Ikinai, directed by Hiroshi Shimizu, and in 2000 the company began collaborating with director Jia Zhangke, as well as producer Shôzô Ichiyama.

The outfit also launched Tokyo FILMeX in 2000, a film festival that aims to highlight independent cinema

President Moro and producer Ichiyama will be present at Locarno to receive the award and speak to the public, and the festival will screen three films in tribute: Hana-bi (1997) and Dolls (2002), both directed by Kitano, and Unknown...

Written and directed by Takeshi Kitano.

Starring Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tatsuya Mihashi,

Chieko Matsubara, Kyoko Fukada and Tsutomu Takeshige.

Running time: 113 min.

Dolls is a beautiful, clever, original stylization with just the right touch of subtle irony characteristic of other Kitano’s works.

Plot

There are three stories in the movie, all of them concerning love, always futile, tragic and pierced with the feeling of loneliness.

The central story is about a young couple, Matsumoto and Sawako. They are engaged to be married, but Matsumoto is persuaded by his parents to marry the daughter of his boss. As a dutiful son, the young man respects his parents’ request: they worked hard to get him through college and give him a good chance at life.

At the wedding Matsumoto is informed that Sawako attempted suicide. She survived, but lost her mind and is now in a semi-vegetative state. Matsumoto leaves...

So far I've been ignoring the work of Takeshi Kitano (Achilles To Kame, Kantoku Banzai), but as I'm slowly revisiting my all-time favorite films there really is no way around Kitano's impressive body of work. So let us start with what is probably Kitano's most accessible film to date, Kikujiro no Natsu. A perfect cure for winter blues and the perfect entry film for people not acquainted with the signature style of Kitano.Kikujiro no Natsu follows all the praise Kitano received for Hana-bi, a film that won him the Golden Lion in Venice (helped by the support of Tsukamoto) and immediately launched his international career. Even though Kitano dabbled in different genres prior to releasing Hana-bi (A Scene At The Sea, Getting Any), to the...

Jacques Bonnavent's "The Gold Mine," the story of a spinster who meets her dream man online, scored jury three awards, including the best of the festival prize, at the Palm Springs International ShortFest & Short Film Festival.

The fest, which announced winners Sunday at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs, handed its future filmmaker award to Pierre Ferriere for "The Story of My Life."

The Panavision Grand Jury Award went to Jonathan van Tulleken's "Off Season." The festival, which concludes today, screened 314 short films.

Award winners that received a first-place prize in four categories are eligible for Oscar consideration.

A complete list of winners follows.

Jury Awards

Best Of Festival Award

The Gold Mine (La Mina de Oro) (Mexico), Jacques Bonnavent

Future Filmmaker Award

Pierre Ferriere, The Story of My Life (Toute ma Vie) (France)

Panavision Grand Jury Award

Off Season (Canada/USA), Jonathan van Tulleken

Jury Special Citation...

Takeshi Kitano’s 15th movie, titled Outrage will be premiering next month at Cannes Film Festival 2010.

This could be just awesome thing to watch, and we’re glad to hear that this director is back into action movies, after some brilliant film – list that includes titles like Violent Cop, Boiling Point, A Scene at the Sea, Fireworks and so on.

Check out the trailer and the rest of this report to see if this new Kitano’s project worth to watch…

As always, the best way to start a story, is by giving you the official synopsis: This story “…begins with Sekiuchi (Kitamura Soichiro), boss of the Sannokai, a huge organised crime syndicate controlling the entire Kanto region, issuing a stern warning to his lieutenant Kato (Miura Tomokazu) and right-hand man Ikemoto (Kunimura Jun), head of the Ikemoto-gumi.

Kato orders Ikemoto to bring the unassociated Murase-gumi gang in line, and...

Glory to the Filmmaker indeed. As reported on The Auteurs yesterday, Takeshi Kitano is currently the toast of Paris, prompting Movie Poster of the Week to take a look at Kitano’s career in one-sheets. Starting as a stand-up comedian in 1972, “Beat” Takeshi soon became one of Japan’s most popular entertainers and television personalities. He started acting in movies in the early ’80s, most notably in Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) but it was almost by accident that he started making his own films, when the original director of 1989’s Violent Cop fell ill. Since then he has written and directed 14 movies in the past 20 years, though his reception in America has veered wildly from adulation to indifference. His first film to be picked up in the States, 1993’s Sonatine, was held back for years by Miramax until it was finally released five years later, hot on the...

The concluding chapter of the self relective trilogy that Japanese icon Takeshi Kitano began with Takeshis’ and continued with Glory to the Filmmaker it is hard to imagine Achilles and the Tortoise being more different than the films that came before. While both Takeshis’ and Glory were shot through with manic energy and featured Kitano playing some distorted version of himself Achilles is a far more sedate and quiet film, one that follows a conventional structure, following a single character through the course of his life, and is concerned more with the creative impulse than with any sort of self representation. If Takeshis’ was an attempt to break new stylistic ground while satirizing the media monster Kitano himself had become and Glory was a deliberate throwback to the comedic madness of Getting Any, then Achilles draws more on the meditative side of Kitano, the side responsible for films such as...