ACF 792: Free screening of YEARNING at Asia Society this Friday, December 3rd

Yearning
Directed by Mikio Naruse
Japan, 1964, 100min, 35mm, B&W.
Where: Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), NYC
When: Friday, December 3, 2010, 6:45 PM
Japanese with English subtitles

Japanese Cinema 1960s, the series of five free screenings jointly presented by Asia Society and Japan Foundation, will continue this Friday evening with this work by Naruse, one of Japan's finest film directors.

Reiko (Hideko Takamine), a war-widow, keeps her late husband’s family store afloat against supermarket competition and the meddling of her in-laws. Fed up with the pressure, she embarks on a journey home, accompanied by a younger brother-in-law (Yuzo Kayama). The journey, with hints of forbidden romance, ends with a shocking finale. Known as “a great director of women” (Film Comment), Naruse contemplates a society challenged by capitalism and changing social mores in this stunningly shot feature. Toho Co., Ltd.

“a masterpiece of portraiture” –Keith Uhlich—Slant Magazine

“[In the films of Naruse,] a flow of shots that looks calm and ordinary at first glance reveals itself to be like a deep river with a quiet surface disguising a fast-raging current.”– Akira Kurosawa