Tadao Satō

Documentary on film maker Akira Kurosawa

An account of the life and work of legendary Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune (1920-97), the most prominent actor of the Golden Age of Japanese cinema.

With Taiwan remaining in the grip of martial law in 1982, a group of filmmakers from that country set out to establish a cultural identity through cinema and to share it with the world. This engaging documentary looks at the movement's legacy.

An extremely lovely tribute to Ozu, on the 20th anniversary of his death. It uses a combination of footage from vintage films and new material (both interviews and Ozu-related locations) shot by Ozu's long-time camera-man (who came out of retirement to work on this). Surprisingly (or perhaps not), it focuses less on Ozu's accomplishments as a film-maker than on his impact on the lives of the people he worked with..

A documentary looking at the samurai traditions and films that helped shape Kurosawa's masterpiece.

Sato Tadao is a giant of film criticism with over 150 published works to his name. He adored Asian cinema and referred to one Indian film, Kummatty, as his treasure. The director sets out on a journey in search of that treasure.

A biographical documentary produced as part of the 20th anniversary project of the silent film appreciation society led by Shunsui Matsuda, who was known as a silent film narrator, film collector and exhibitor. The film features interviews with directors and related parties involved in the production while inserting scenes from period dramas starring Tsumasanburo Bando throughout from Matsuda’s extensive collection. Completed in 1980 but not released to the general public until 1993 on the 40th anniversary of Bando’s death and Matsuda’s seventh anniversary.