Little-Known Japanese Filmmaker Celebrated At Local Film Festival

Seattlest likes the talking pictures. We even like them when they don't talk, but that's another story. This post is all about how the Northwest Film Forum is presenting a film festival of the works of Mikio Naruse. He's been compared to Ozu and Mizoguchi, if you can imagine. Ozu! Mizoguchi!

"Never entirely unknown in the West" is one critic's phrasing of his influence. "Somber," raves another. "Bleak and pessimistic," adds Wikipedia.

We went to see the opening film of the 10-film festival, When A Woman Ascends The Stairs, and became instant fans. We don't want to go into it too much, because you can't see it anymore, so move on, dammit, live your life!

Okay, fine. It features an almost-30 bar hostess in post-war Japan. She's a widow and there aren't a lot of economic opportunities for widows, so she's acting as bar "ambiance" to draw regular customers in. It's expected that she'll give in and become a wealthy patron's mistress, but she has other ideas. Unfortunately, she's in a movie by a "bleak and pessimistic" director, so she's screwed no matter what.

What you can still see are some of the remaining nine films, running through February 26. Many are one-night-only, so make sure to check your calendar. Flowing, Late Chysanthemums, and Sound of the Mountain -- any of these can make you question your existence when juxtaposed against the black-and-white austerity of post-war Japan, its cultural rifts, and the tales of ordinary people lost and forgotten amid the birth of modern Japan.

Regular admission is $8, members get in for $5. The Northwest Film Forum is located at 1515 12th Avenue, between Pike and Pine on Capitol Hill.