Directed by Kazuhiro Soda • Documentary • With Kôji Fukada, Kanji Furutachi, Oriza Hirata • 2012 • 172 minutes
What is the essence of theatre?
Theatre 1 is a feature length documentary which closely depicts the world of Oriza Hirata, Japan’s leading playwright and director, and his theatrical company, Seinendan. By depicting them, the film leads the audience to revisit fundamental but timely questions: What is theatre? Why do human beings act?
"Through the fascinating spirit and creativity of Oriza Hirata, Kazuhiro Soda's THEATRE 1 & 2 evokes a plurality of dimensions cleverly portrayed as inseparable aspects of the same problem: pedagogy vs. performance, culture vs. politics, individual creation and experiences vs. collective involvement and responsibilities. A tale of art in our time, THEATRE 1 & 2 is one of those rare and precious acts of filmmaking that delves deep into the essence of culture." —Jérôme Baron, Artistic director, Festival des 3 Continents
—Busan International Film Festival 2012
—Festival des 3 Continents 2012 - Winner - Young Jury’s Prize
Directed by Kazuhiro Soda • Documentary • With Kanji Furutachi, Koichiro Genba, Oriza Hirata • 2012 • 170 minutes
Can the theatre arts survive in the 21st century?
If Theatre 1 is about the world of Hirata, Theatre 2 is a feature documentary, which depicts the relationship between Hirata and th...
Directed by Shohei Imamura • Documentary • 1971 • 45 minutes
In Malaysia, Imamura follows one false lead after another as he tries to locate unreturned Japanese who had given up the culture of their birth to integrate with Malaysian society. These wrong turns take the filmmaker on a tour through...
Directed by Shohei Imamura • Documentary • 1971 • 50 minutes
Imamura has better luck in Thailand, where he brings together three unreturned soldiers to discuss their experiences during the war and after.
The three men—a farmer named Fujita and two doctors: Toshida and Nakayama—have responded ve...
