Where Chimneys Are Seen

This is a past event

BBFC RatingWhere Chimneys Are Seen

CertificateNot Rated
Year1953
GenreCrime, Drama
Director(s)Heinosuke Gosho
LanguageJapanese
CountryJapan
Running Time1HR 48MINS
Extra InfoSubtitled / Recommended 12A
SeasonThe Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024

Based on Rinzo Shiina’s absurdist novel, the film focuses on the microcosm of a house in 1950s Tokyo.

Ryukichi (Ken Uehara) and Hiroko (Kinuyo Tanaka) are a married couple who, despite having two upstairs lodgers living with them, are desperately poor and go to complicated lengths to avoid unwanted pregnancies. In a bid to help their situation out, Hiroko secretly takes on a part-time job which aggravates Ryukichi who senses that his wife (who had been married once before but was seemingly widowed in WWII) is hiding something from him. He appears to be vindicated when a child is abandoned on their doorstep by someone who claims to be Hiroko first husband..

Widely regarded as the work most representative of Gosho’s concern for the lives of lower-middle class individuals, this drama (entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival) is a rare find that focuses on marriage and family life in the post-war period of industrialisation. 35mm screening.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2019 features thoughtfully selected titles from Japan, all focusing on the theme of ‘Love’ and never before screened in the UK.

logo-credit-line.jpg



YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Tonight, at the Movies

Set in the 1960s, at a time when the Japanese cinema industry faced a decline with the rising popularity of television, a struggling assistant director Kenji (Kentaro Sakaguchi) is looking for his big break.

More Info

An error occurred while loading this page