Yasujiro Ozu tribute at Apollon
Covering cinephiles’ needs beyond the fare available at mainstream movie theaters and offering a landmark movie experience, the Greek Film Library is paying tribute to a true cinema great, Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. The tribute, organized in conjunction with the Greek Film Center and the Thessaloniki Film Festival, is taking place at the capital’s central Apollon Filmcenter. Less is more A prolific film artist, whose credits span 54 films in 35 years, Ozu came to the West’s attention somewhat late. The director’s films do not belong to any one artistic genre, they are not entirely realistic nor naturalist; they are removed from expressionism; they are neither based on too much action or drama. Born in Tokyo in 1903, Ozu died in the same city in 1963. Throughout his career, the great auteur’s lens focused invariably on the values and traditions of the Japanese family in the postwar period. For Ozu, middle-class traditions had to face a number of enemies, including modernization, a sense of Westernization and the problems arising from the generation gap, the tensions between parents and their children. As for the director’s signature cinematic style, this involved the use of a static camera placed a few meters from the ground. During the tribute, which began last Friday, audiences have to choose from 20 films, including movies from the director’s silent era, as well as masterpieces, such as 1953’s «Tokyo Monogatari» (Tokyo Story), 1961’s «Kohayagawa-ke no aki» (The End of Summer) and 1956’s «Soshun» (Early Spring). Apollon Filmcenter, 19 Stadiou, tel 210.323.6811.
