Japan Society and The Japan Foundation Present SEIJUN SUZUKI CENTENNIAL

Celebrating 100 years of iconoclast director Seijun Suzuki (1923-2017), a singular force in Japanese cinema whose radical stylistic vision and unpredictable narratives shaped the B-movie genre, Japanese cinephilia and the political New Left, Japan Society and The Japan Foundation present Seijun Suzuki Centennial-a selection of six films from across the filmmaker's nearly 60-film body of work, all on imported 35mm prints straight from Japan. Covering ground from his earliest yakuza feature (Satan's Town) to his unbridled return to studio filmmaking after being blacklisted for 10 years (A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness) and his subsequent independent success (Kagero-za), this special series offers a rare glimpse into the core of Suzuki's creative genius.

Organized in conjunction with the recent publication of series' guest curator William Carroll's Suzuki Seijun and Postwar Japanese Cinema (Columbia University Press, 2022), Seijun Suzuki Centennial delves into the versatility and audacious nature of the maverick filmmaker's singular stylistic impulses. As Carroll notes, "Suzuki, a major figure in the transformation of Japan's film industry and culture, began as something of a cog in Nikkatsu's machine, churning out up to six films a year for them in a variety of genres according to their needs. Even from the beginning, though, you can see the seeds of his style that would blossom in his final few years at Nikkatsu as he became a major figure for Japan's cinephile culture. When he was fired, it became a watershed moment for the collapse of the studio system and the rise of independent film production, giving himself a place to reemerge with his most daring and experimental work a decade later."

Series guest programmed by William Carroll, Assistant Professor of Modern Japanese Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta.

Tickets: $15/$12 students and seniors /$10 Japan Society members.

Series Pass: Purchase tickets for all films in the same transaction and receive $2 off each ticket.

Lineup and other details are subject to change. For complete information visit japansociety.org.