Enjoy this work from the late Director Akira Inoue and Director Takashi Koizumi, two master craftsmen who perfectly captured the actor’s experience through exquisite detail.

Director Akira Inoue was adored in the movie industry for his sophisticated productions and his pleasant personality. In his younger years, he earned the title “Japan’s Jean-Luc Godard,” later maturing into a more Eric Rohmer-like presence. This segment features the masterpieces he crafted up until his passing earlier this year. This segment will conclude with a direct message from Director Takashi Koizumi, Akira Kurosawa’s final pupil, as he presents one of his finest works.

These new international historical films are being shown in Japan for the first time.

Benedetta, a drama centering around the life of a Catholic nun, from the increasingly successful visualist Verhoeven; the suffering of the wife of a homosexual Tchaikovsky in the midst of a foggy Saint Petersburg; an actor living a quiet life in the town to which he has drifted; the unforgivables who pay a visit to Tim Blake Nelson; a detective disguised as an apothecary solving a murder case that occurs in Estonia’s ancient city of Tallinn… The wonders of human existence prove universal among different countries and time periods.

Beyond Reality: The Path to Historical Dramas with a Fantastical Twist

Advancements in image processing technologies of the 1990s led to a worldwide revival of historical films. Could the 2020s similarly change Japan’s period dramas through the developments in game engines? In this segment, we’ll explore the paths that pioneers are taking beyond realism and map out a vision for historical dramas.

Japan premieres of cutting-edge works from the Venice Film Festival

A special program realized through the collaboration of three entities: Kyoto Filmmakers Lab (KFL), HISTORICA’s own training program; Biennale College Cinema, a project by the cinema section of La Biennale di Venezia; and Istituto Italiano di Cultura Osaka. Partner: Istituto Italiano di Cultura Osaka

The 100th Birthday Celebration of Bologna’s genius, Pasolini

To celebrate the 100th birthday of the Italian genius Director Pasolini, we will be screening a 4k restoration of Oedipus Rex (1967) from Cineteca di Bologna. Plus, enjoy a documentary about Pasolini and his hometown, Bologna, tracing his connections with the culture-rich city. This program is a collaboration between Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Italiano di Cultura Osaka.

Past participants of the KFL, return to Kyoto with a feature film!

In cooperation with Historica’s training program “Kyoto Filmmakers Lab (KFL)”, we are screening feature films by KFL alumni. Let us welcome the alumni coming back to Kyoto where they once learned the art of filmmaking, like salmon returning from the ocean to their home rivers.

Public lectures presented by two master directors after the film screenings. The lectures will be in commentary format, with both the Lab participants and the general audience welcome to attend.