UCCA Beijing

Yasujirō Ozu: A Retrospective

2013.12.12 - 2013.12.22

Cinema Arts
Location:  UCCA Art Cinema
Language:  Lecture: In Chinese only, Screenings: In Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles

About this program

Yasujirō Ozu (1903-1963) is widely regarded as one of the world's most important and influential film directors. Ozu made 54 films in his lifetime, of which over 30 survive. Ozu’s films capture the style and pacing of day-to-day life, with the family as a consistent theme in his works. Ozu’s films capture the minutiae of fortune and tragedy. He depicts joy and sorrow with an exaggerated theatricality while leaving space for the viewer to connect the narrative to his or her own experiences. Ozu’s distinctive visual aesthetic is defined by meticulous framing, low camera placement, and static shots.

Yasujirō Ozu was born on December 12, 1903 in Fukagawa District, Japan. He died on the same day sixty years later. To commemorate what would be the 110th birthday of the renowned director (as well as the 50th anniversary of his death), UCCA presents seven films representative of his late career: Tokyo Story, Early Spring, Equinox Flower, Good Morning, Floating Weeds, Late Autumn, and An Autumn Afternoon. The program also includes a screening of I Lived, But... (The Life and Works of Yasujiro Ozu), a documentary filmed for the director’s 80th birthday. In addition, UCCA will organize a lecture for academics and filmmakers to commemorate the Japanese cinematic master.

Screening schedule

12.12

19:00 Opening + Screening: Tokyo Story

12.13

19:00 An Autumn Afternoon

12.14

14:00 Lecture | Film Experts on Ozu: Richie, Hasumi, Yoshida, and Ebert (Free)

Speaker: Shu Ming (Li Hoo Cheong, Hong Kong film critic)

16:30 I Lived, But... (The Life and Works of Yasujiro Ozu)

19:00 Equinox Flower

12.15

14:00 Good Morning

16:00 Early Spring

19:00 Floating Weeds

12.19

19:00 Floating Weeds

12.20

19:00 Early Spring

12.21

14:00 Lecture | Searching for Ozu: The Beauty of Humanity (Free)

Speakers: Dai Jinhua, Zhi An

16:30 Good Morning

19:00 Equinox Flower

12.22

14:00 Tokyo Story

16:30 Late Autumn

19:00 An Autumn Afternoon

Organized by

Organized by UCCA

Curated by Xie Meng

Program assistant: Hong Yali

Program Promotion: Xia Cheng, Carmen Yuan

Design: Kong Lingyi

Curated by

Meng Xie

Program assistant

Yali Hong

Program promotion

Xia Cheng

Design

Kong Lingyi