TSFF programme 3 The films of Master Director Mikio Naruse
Apart From You preceded by Flunky, Work Hard!
“In the West Mikio Naruse is the least well known of the big four directors of Japan's golden age of cinema. Yasujiro Ozu, Akira Kurosawa and Kenji Mizoguchi have all become touch points for their meticulous style and/ or their heroic narratives. Naruse is probably best known, like Mizoguchi, for his "women's films", often cautionary tales of women in Japanese society, but in his early silent works Naruse was a much more diverse and dynamic filmmaker. I hope that the double bill of 'Flunky, Work Hard!' And 'Apart From You' will introduce audiences to the Naruse who wasn't afraid to laugh, to experiment, and to shift his eye beyond the plight of Japanese women in early 20th century to all members of society."-programmer Chris MaGee
Synopsis: A clash of generations confronting a changing world contrasts the life an aging geisha, Kikue, working to support her rebellious teenage son who is ashamed of her profession, with the youthful Terugiko, a woman who harbours deep bitterness toward her family for pushing her into a profession she considers humiliating. As with all Naruse films, the camera movement and expressive editing follow closely the development of the relationships between these three giving it balance and maturity.
Preceded by: Flunky, Work Hard! 1931 Japan 28min
Mikio Naruse’s earliest extant film is the rare work by the director not to center around female characters. It is a charming, breezy short concerning an insurance salesman and his scrappy son, whose constant fights with the other boys put his father’s livelihood in jeopardy.
The programme will be introduced by Chris MaGee
Tania Gill will accompany
Make it part of your Festival Pass or Saturday Pass
$17 eventbrite or at the door