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Feature Thousand Words

Struggling to Watch Drive My Car (On Hamaguchi, Ozu and the Importance of Being in the Moment)

I’ve always believed that films should be viewed in one sitting. No pauses, stops or breaks (take that pee before the movie, dummy!). An immersive experience that demands, or, at the very least merits, your full attention for what is a relatively short period of time compared to, say reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace or […]

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Feature

A family with a dinner table: Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Still Walking

Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Still Walking (Aruitemi aruitemo, 2008) starts with two women preparing a meal, the older woman giving advice to the younger one. This first long sequence sets the tone of the film and signals the filmmaker’s emphasis on everyday life, which is supported by the narrative and by other aesthetic means. Depicting twenty-four hours […]

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Feature Thousand Words

Tthe surprising parallels between Wes Anderson and Yasujirō Ozu

Video essayist Anna Catley explores the cinematic worlds of these two great filmmakers.

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Feature One Sheet

One Sheet: Ozu’s Families

Family has always been the preferred subject of Yasujirô Ozu; the subtle daily dynamics of the typical Japanese home, and the small moments of drama that may be glimpsed as a fly on the wall. Or perhaps, more accurately, as a fly hovering three feet from the floor: where Ozu’s static camera was always placed, emphasising the […]