Onomichi
Synopsis
A narratively free love letter to Obayashi's home town, edited from footage the director shot on an 8mm camera from the age of eight. Images of childhood from the late 1950s intertwine here with later images from the early 1960s, among them his future wife Kyoko, filmed even before their marriage.
About the Director
Nobuhiko Obayashi (January 9, 1938, Onomichi, Japan — April 10, 2020, Tokyo) was a classic figure of Japanese cinema and one of the pioneers who blurred the line between experimental and mainstream film. He began making 8mm films as a child and continued the practice throughout his life; in 1964 he co-founded a Tokyo underground/independent film circle. After fifteen years in advertising, he made his feature directorial debut with the surreal horror-comedy "House" ("Hausu," 1977), which became a cult classic. Other key works include the "Onomichi trilogy" and "Sada" (1998, FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlin Film Festival). He died of lung cancer in 2020, having completed his final film, "Labyrinth of Cinema" (2019), after his diagnosis.
Festivals & Awards
- Recognized — Knokke-le-Zoute Experimental Film Festival | 1964
- Screening (retrospective "Nobuhiko Obayashi films", curated by Alina Roslyakova) — O-FEST
- Retrospective — Japan Society (New York)
- Retrospective — Tokyo International Film Festival | 2019
