*With 16mm film projection for screening on 3 June: Those Awful Hats (1909, directed by D.W. Griffith)
Director: Masayuki Suo
Cast: Ryo Narita, Yuina Kuroshima, Naoto Takenaka, Masatoshi Nagase, Kengo Kora, Yutaka Takenouchi
During the Taisho era, Japan started importing silent films. To make the experience more entertaining, ‘katsudo benshi’ provided live storytelling and narrations accompanied by live music. When he was young, Shuntaro would sneak into the cinema and was fascinated by the lively explanations of the popular benshi. He dreamed of standing on the stage beside the screen as a benshi himself. However, he became a fake benshi who helped thieves commit crimes. After a failed operation, he escaped and found work at a small town theatre. The theatre was struggling and he encountered strange people and events. Meanwhile, both the thieves and police detective were still chasing him and Shuntaro also reunited with his first love who had become an actress. Will Shuntaro’s dream come true? In this new work by Suo Masayuki, he recreates the early-day cinema experience and cleverly imitates the style of silent films, taking us back to the authenticity of a hundred years ago.