Afternote Film Screenings

Director Kinuyo Tanaka Retrospective

December 11–22, 2024

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of her acting debut, The Japan Foundation, Sydney is proud to present a complete retrospective of Japanese actor and filmmaker Kinuyo Tanaka’s often overlooked directorial work. Join us for this special series of free film screenings, held in conjunction with the exhibition Afternote: In the Shade of Cinema.

Following the start of her acting career with Shochiku Studios in 1924, Tanaka went on to appear in more than 250 films over the span of 50 years. She worked on masterpieces with acclaimed directors including the likes of Yasujiro О̄zu, Mikio Naruse, Kenji Mizoguchi and Keisuke Kinoshita, becoming not only one of Japan’s most iconic and beloved celebrities, but also a global star that gained international recognition

As part of the Afternote: In the Shade of Cinema exhibition, you will find a photograph of Kinuyo Tanaka’s visit to Kinryukan movie theatre in her home prefecture of Yamaguchi on May 4, 1937. The image captures an enthusiastic audience eager to catch a glimpse of the film star at the peak of her fame. Also included in the exhibition are several original posters of films that Tanaka has starred in.

Despite Japanese social expectations at the time, Tanaka chose to marry her passion for cinema instead of building a family. In 1953 she moved behind the camera to direct her debut film Love Letter, becoming the second Japanese female director after Tazuko Sakane, while continuing her acting career.
Tanaka’s six feature films reflect her determination to tell stories that genuinely give a voice to women’s experiences and desires, in contrast with mainstream representations of women in Japanese cinema.

Screenings will be held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from December 11-22, 2024.

Girls of Dark (女ばかりの夜)

Dir. Kinuyo Tanaka / 1961 / 92 mins / DCP (4K Digitally restored ver.), B&W / Cast: Chisako Hara, Akemi Kita, Chieko Naniwa, Chieko Seki / Japanese with English subtitles / Unclassified 15+

December 11 (Wed), 2pm & 7:15pm

Kinuyo Tanaka (1909 –77) was one of the most celebrated and wildly popular actors of Japanese golden age cinema. She was also a filmmaker, directing six features in the 1950s and 1960s. Shot in widescreen ‘TohoScope’ in inky black and white, Girls of Dark is a bracing portrait of former sex workers detained in correctional centres meant to prepare them for reintegration into society. Kumiko (an excellent Chisako Hara) drifts from job to job, unable to overcome the stigma of her past. Released just three years after Japan’s abolition of state-regulated prostitution, the film is a fascinating look at social taboos and the camaraderie of women. Having herself played the role of a sex worker in films by Yasujirō Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi, Tanaka offers an empathetic portrayal of lives on the margins of post-war Japan.

Love Letter (恋文)

Dir Kinuyo Tanaka / 1953 / 97 mins / DCP (4K Digitally restored ver.), B&W / Cast: Masayuki Mori, Yoshiko Kuga / Japanese with English subtitles / Unclassified All Ages: Mild mature themes (reference to prostitution, miscarriage and child’s death, suicide), mild infrequent coarse language, very mild violence

December 15 (Sun) 12pm

After the end of WWII, repatriated veteran Reikichi finds a job translating love letters for other people, having spent five years searching for his lost love, Michiko. However, just when it seems the pair are destined to reunite, he is thrown into a whirlwind of unexpected emotions—pain, frustration and disappointment. Reikichi must soon face reality, as he struggles to reconcile his memories of a pure and noble Michiko with the woman before him. Raw and bittersweet, Kinuyo Tanaka’s directorial debut sensitively portrays the complexities of the moral dilemma underpinning this post-war love story.

©KOKUSAI HOEI

The Moon Has Risen (月は上りぬ)

Dir. Kinuyo Tanaka / 1955 / 102 mins / DCP (4K Digitally restored ver.), B&W / Cast: Chishū Ryū, Shūji Sano, Hisako Yamane, Yoko Sugi, Mie Kitahara / Japanese with English subtitles / Unclassified All ages: Mild reference to drug use

December 15 (Sun), 2pm

A widower named Mokichi lives in a temple with his three daughters, each of whom are at different stages in their lives. The young women soon become involved in complicated relationships and find themselves navigating the intersection of tradition and modernity in 1950s Japan.

Scripted by legendary director Yasujirō Ozu, Kinuyo Tanaka’s second film beautifully blends the director’s unique comedic touch with Ozu’s masterful exploration of family themes, from youthful romance to the bittersweet transition to adulthood. With the breathtaking landscapes and traditional architecture of Nara as its backdrop, The Moon Has Risen captures the passage of time on an intimately domestic level.

Forever a Woman (乳房よ永遠なれ)

Dir. Kinuyo Tanaka / 1955 / 110 mins / DCP (4K Digitally restored ver.), B&W / Cast: Yumeji Tsukioka, Ryōji Hayama, Junkichi Orimoto, Hiroko Kawasaki, Masayuki Mori / Japanese with English subtitles / Unclassified All ages: Mild mature themes (illness, death, infidelity), mild reference to drug use, mild sexual references

December 18 (Wed), 2pm

Inspired by the life of poet Fumiko Nakajō, Forever a Woman follows a woman’s transformation as she experiences a series of tragedies, apexed with her breast cancer diagnosis. Confronted with the sudden loss of love, womanhood and time, Fumiko discovers a newfound passion for poetry, through which she freely redefines her sense of self. Told from a distinctly female perspective crafted by director Kinuyo Tanaka and writer Sumie Tanaka, this groundbreaking film offers a rare and intimate portrayal of a woman’s emotional journey in the last moments of her life.

The Wandering Princess (流転の王妃)

Dir. Kinuyo Tanaka / 1960 / 102 mins / DCP (4K Digitally restored ver.), Colour / Cast: Machiko Kyō, Eiji Funakoshi, Yomei Ryū / Japanese with English subtitles / Unclassified All ages: Mild mature themes (suicide, abuse and death), mild violence, mild coarse language

December 18 (Wed), 7:15pm

Once an aspiring painter, Ryuko’s life irrevocably changes when she is chosen to marry the Manchurian Emperor’s younger brother during the Japanese occupation. Based on the sensational true story of Hiro Aishinkakura, The Wandering Princess follows the young Japanese aristocrat as she is destined to become a symbol of peace between two warring powers. Through political upheavals and postwar international turmoil, Ryuko navigates her new life with her now beloved husband Futetsu, torn between love and duty. Tanaka’s first film in both colour and CinemaScope is an epic that blends historical drama with romance, showcasing Ryuko’s devotion to peace and her belief in the power of human connection to transcend conflict.

Love Under the Crucifix (お吟さま)

Dir. Kinuyo Tanaka / 1962 / 101 mins / DCP (4K Digitally restored ver.), Colour / Cast: Ineko Arima, Tatsuya Nakadai, Nakamura Ganjirō II, Mieko Takamine, Osamu Takizawa, Keiko Kishi / Japanese with English subtitles / Unclassified All ages: Mild themes (suicide, infidelity), mild violence, mild coarse language

December 22 (Sun), 2pm

Set in 16th century Japan, Tanaka’s final directorial film centers on Ogin, the daughter of a renowned tea master, who falls in love with Ukon, a Christian samurai married to another woman. Ogin’s devotion to Ukon forces her to challenge societal and religious norms, including an arranged marriage to a wealthy merchant and the pressure to become the mistress of Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Blending romance, social rebellion and religious moral conflict, this lush period drama explores themes of forbidden love, sacrifice and the struggle for women’s agency, culminating in Ogin’s ultimate decision to defy authority in pursuit of happiness.