The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers from JAPAN CUTS and Beyond
ACA Cinema Project
The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers from JAPAN CUTS and Beyond
November 11—20, 2022
A survey of the growing prominence and visibility of women in film, the latest ACA Cinema Project series The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers from JAPAN CUTS and Beyond focuses on the essential roles that female artists play from behind the camera in Japanese cinema—ranging from directing and screenwriting to production and cinematography. Presenting an exciting array of screenings and premieres—that include new mainstream and independent works from <em<JAPAN CUTS alumni and rising talents alongside a classics selection—The Female Gaze offers a much-needed deep dive into the remarkable and overlooked contributions of women in contemporary Japanese cinema.
Series Trailer
Co-presented by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.
Admission Information
Tickets: $15/$12 students and seniors /$10 Japan Society members
Screening of Typhoon Club + Opening Night Party: $18/$15/$14
All in-person screenings will take place in Japan Society’s auditorium, located at 333 E. 47th Street in New York, NY.
Full Lineup
Wedding High
Followed by a post-screening discussion and Q&A with director Ohku, and an opening night party.
2022. 117 min. Directed by Akiko Ohku.
Friday, November 11, 7 pm ET
N.A. Premiere. A wedding becomes a catalyst for everyone present to live out their dreams and aspirations, however big or small they might be.
Dreaming of the Meridian Arc
2022. 111 min. Directed by Kenji Nakanishi.
Saturday, November, 12 pm ET
U.S. Premiere. Adapted for the screen by Yoshiko Morishita, Dreaming of the Meridian Arc offers an entertaining account of the exploits that led to the completion of Japan’s first map.
She is me, I am her
2022. 70 min. Directed by Mayu Nakamura.
Saturday, November 12, 5 pm ET
World Premiere. Mayu Nakamura’s Covid-era quadriptych delves into the lives of women in COVID-era Japan, encapsulating the newfound anxieties of loneliness, insecurity and the struggle for connection within the depths of the pandemic lockdown.
One Summer Story
2020. 138 min. Directed by Shuichi Okita.
Saturday, November 12, 7 pm ET
NY Premiere. Lensed by DP Akiko Ashizawa, Shuichi Okita’s charming One Summer Story follows young Minami and her friend Shohei as she tries to investigate the whereabouts of her missing father.
Good Stripes
2015. 119 min. Directed by Yukiko Sode.
Sunday, November 13, 1 pm ET
N.A. Premiere. Yukiko Sode’s charming second feature follows a couple’s sense of romantic rediscovery following a surprise pregnancy and shotgun wedding.
The Nighthawk’s First Love
2021. 98 min. Directed Yuka Yasukawa.
Sunday, November 13, 4 pm ET
Int’l Premiere. Yuka Yasukawa’s second feature tells the story of Aiko, a young woman whose striking birthmark catches the attention of a filmmaker looking to adapt her story.
Her Brother
1960. 98 min. Directed by Kon Ichikawa.
Sunday, November 13, 7 pm ET
Int’l Premiere of 4K Restoration. Adapted to the screen by celebrated screenwriter Yoko Mizuki, Her Brother is a moving, restrained family melodrama told from the viewpoint of a lonely yet resilient young woman obligated to her oppressive parents.
In collaboration with the National Film Archive of Japan
Conflagration
1958. 99 min. Directed by Kon Ichikawa.
Monday, November 14, 7 pm ET
Int’l Premiere of 4K Restoration. The pinnacle of Kon Ichikawa and screenwriter Natto Wada’s literary adaptations, Conflagration follows the spiritual and psychological breakdown of a priest’s apprentice in the halls of Kyoto’s Shukaku temple.
In collaboration with the National Film Archive of Japan
two of us / Long-Term Coffee Break
Followed by a post-screening discussion and Q&A with director Negishi and Fujita.
2019. 47 min. Directed by Risa Negishi. / 2022. 30 min. Directed by Naoya Fujita.
Tuesday, November 15, 7:30 pm ET
Interpersonal relationships and human connection take to the forefront in these two shorts by filmmakers Risa Negishi and Naoya Fujita.
His Lost Name
2019. 113 min. Directed by Nanako Hirose.
Friday, November 18, 5 pm ET
A small-town carpenter finds an unconscious man on a riverbank, taking him under his tutelage in this sensitive debut drama.
Riverside Mukolitta
Followed by a post-screening discussion and Q&A with director Ogigami, and a reception.
2021. 121 min. Directed by Naoko Ogigami.
Friday, November 18, 8 pm ET
U.S. Premiere. A troubled former criminal moves into a rural apartment complex, getting to know its community of earnest (if audacious) locals and adapting to a quieter, simpler pace of life.
No Longer Human
2019. 120 min. Directed by Mika Ninagawa.
Saturday, November 19, 1 pm ET
East Coast Premiere. Mika Ninagawa’s sumptuous biopic on icon Osamu Dazai focuses on the troubled novelist’s formative relationships with his wife and two mistresses during his late-career.
Panel: Women in Film
Saturday, November 19, 4 pm ET
A unique discussion focusing on the advancement and increased visibility of female filmmakers in a global context as well as in both the U.S. and Japanese film industries.
Let Me Hear It Barefoot
021. 128 min. Directed by Riho Kudo.
Saturday, November 19, 7 pm ET
East Coast Premiere. Riho Kudo’s second feature delicately portrays the melancholia of young adulthood as two men commence a secretive romantic affair
Nagi’s Island
2022. 107 min. Directed by Masahiko Nagasawa.
Sunday, November 20, 1 pm ET
N.A. Premiere. Produced by Kumi Kobata, Nagi’s Island follows young Nagi as she bonds with her family and neighbors and overcomes the hurdles of childhood during one bustling summer vacation.
a stitch of life
2015. 104 min. Directed by Yukiko Mishima.
Sunday, November 20, 4 pm ET
NY Premiere. A dressmaker devoted to her grandmother’s designs comes to a crossroads when she is approached to expand her shop and considers branching out beyond tradition.
Plan 75
2022. 112 min. Directed by Chie Hayakawa.
Sunday, November 20, 7 pm ET
East Coast Premiere. Winner of Caméra d’Or Special Mention Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Plan 75 is a fierce debut from filmmaker Chie Hayakawa, offering a dystopian vision of Japan’s aging crisis.
Image: © 2022 “Nagi’s Island” Film Partners
ACA Cinema Project, The Female Gaze: Women Filmmakers from JAPAN CUTS and Beyond is Co-presented by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.
Lead Sponsor
Japan Society programs are made possible by leadership support from Booth Ferris Foundation and Shiseido Americas. Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and endowment support from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, David Toberisky, Akiko Koide and Shohei Koide, Geoff and Fumi Matters, Laurel Gonsalves, and David S. Howe. Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the exclusive Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film.
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