Directed by Kichitaro Negishi – His Own Selection

Shining the spotlight on Japanese directors active from the 1980s onward, the National Film Centre's 'His Own Selection' programme welcomes Kichitaro Negishi for its fourth edition. Born in 1950, Negishi first worked in 'pink' (erotic) films before breaking into the spotlight with 1981 drama Enrai, which depicts the destructive and often tragic side effects of Japan's economic miracle through a plain but telling depiction of a farmer and his unravelling family. This 16-flick programme reaches back all the way to Negishi's softcore porn past while also including movies like quirky comedy Sidecar ni Inu (2007) and the drama Villon's Wife (2009), based on Osamu Dazai's short novel of the same name. The full schedule is here – in Japanese only, natch.