The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) and the Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS) have released separate but no less exciting classic cinema programs throughout April and May. While AGNSW will concentrate on classics from 1968, AFTRS are taking a broader brush approach with a collection of restored cinema masterpieces. As part of our Focus on Asia, there were a few titles from Kaneto Shindô, Yasujiro Ozu, and Tang Shu Shuen that jumped out at us.
Cinema Reborn, a program of rare cinema masterpieces, will be presented in partnership with Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS), from May 3 – 7 at the AFTRS Theatre in Sydney. Over the course of the four days, viewers will get a rare opportunity to view some rare gems shown in archival supervision. That’s the best kind of supervision!
Jane Mills will be presenting a restored version of Yasujiro Ozu 1957 masterpiece TOKYO BOSHUKU/TOKYO TWILIGHT. For quite some time this film was almost the missing masterpiece of Ozu’s career. This restoration premiered in Berlin in 2018. It tells of three sisters, one played by Ozu’s favourite actress Setsuko Hara, and follows their paths as they reunite with a mother who abandoned them in childhood.
Of the two 1968 films from Asia to watch out for at AGNSW, Kaneto Shindô’s KURONEKO ((藪の中の黒猫 or simply The Black Cat) will screen on the 11 and 15 April. Starring Nobuko Otowa, Kiwako Taichi, Nakamura Kichiemon II, fans of Onibaba (literally ‘Demon Hag’) will know that Shindô is a ‘master of poetic horror.” A tale of rape, murder, and revenge, it sees two women materialise as black cats to take their vengeance on a band of marauding samurai.
The following week, AGNSW will be highlighting Tang Shu Shuen’s THE ARCH (董夫人, 1970). Also known as Cecile Tang Shu Shuen, the filmmaker is credited for being one of Hong Kong’s first noted female film directors. Set in Qing Dynasty China, the film follows virtuous widow (Lisa Lu) who must put aside her own sensuous desires for a visiting soldier (Roy Chiao) due to the expectations of her village and her daughter. Along with China Behind (1974), The Arch is one of her most famous films.
For AFTRS, admission is by Advanced Subscription only. Subscriptions: $85 (excluding Opening Night) or $105 (including Opening Night). Subscriptions must be booked on line, via Eventbrite website: www.eventbrite.com.au. Their full program includes Max Ophüls’ Sans Lendemain/no Tomorrow, Australian films such as Yackety Yak and Between Wars, and films from Jean Renoir, Norman Foster, Rainer Werner Fassbender, and Jane Campion.
Meanwhile, over at the AGNSW admission is free, but past experience tells us that you should line up early to get a good seat. You can find their full season at artgallerynsw.gov.au.
