“Who was Hiroshi Shimizu? One of his contemporaries, Kenji Mizoguchi, said of him: ‘Yasujiro Ozu and I managed to make good films with a lot of work, but Shimizu is a genius.’ What did he mean by calling him a genius? That he made wonderful films? Probably. But perhaps there was something more to that word. Perhaps he was referring to a genius like those in fairy tales. Those ageless beings who can do everything effortlessly, who are lighthearted and playful but who at the same time know the secrets of life. What kind of films could such a genius make? Happy and melancholic films. Unpredictable films. Films that, seemingly effortlessly, end up touching the heart completely.” (Pablo García Canga, “Hiroshi Shimizu, The Art of Getting Lost”)
The retrospective, organized in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, offers a unique opportunity to explore the work of one of the great masters of the golden age of Japanese cinema. A selection of essential films allows us to trace various stages of Shimizu's career, from one of his best-known silent films to one of his last, directed in the 50s. The program will conclude with a screening of The Children of the Beehive (蜂の巣の子供たち Hachi no su no kodomotachi, 1948), one of his masterpieces, during the month of February.