| DIRECTOR: |
Shohei Imamura |
| SCREEPLAY: |
Motofumi Tomikawa |
| CINEMATOGRAPHER: |
Shigeru Komatsubara |
| EDITION: |
Haijime Okayasu |
| MUSIC: |
Shinichiro Ikebe |
| CAST: |
Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu,
Fujio Tsuneta, Mitsuko Baisho |
| FESTIVALS: |
Cannes |
| PRODUCTION: |
Eiseigekijyo Co.
4-1-1-5 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tóquio 104 Tel: 00 81 3 5250-2321 Fax: 00 81 3
5250-2324; Imamura Productions, 3-8-5 Nishihara, Shibuya-ku, Tóquio 151 |
| WORLD SALES: |
Shochiku Co., 13-5 Tsujiki
1-Chome, Chuo-ku, Tóquio 104 |
| ORIGINAL TITLE: |
Unagi |
| |
Col., 117 min., 1997 |
|
|
Shohei Imamura was born in 1926 in Tokyo. Graduated from the Waseda University, he
began working as assistent director for Yasujiro Ozu and Yoshitaro Nomura. He began to
direct in 1958 starting a recognized career all over the world.The 21st São Paulo
International Film Festival presents a Imamura’s retrospective with nine films: The
Endless Desire, My Second Brother, Hogs and Warships, The Insect Woman, Unholy Desire, The
Pornographer, A Man Vanishes, Legend from a Southern Island e The Ballad of Narayama.
|
|
Touching drama that
shared the Palme D’Or in Cannes/97 with Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami. Takuro,
paroled eight years in prison for killing his wife, starts a new life as barber in a small
town outside of Tokyo. His closest companion remains his pet eel, which has kept him
company throughout his days behind bars.Gradually he begins to open up, becoming friendly
with the locals who frequent his shop. But his life changes radically when he saves Keiko,
a young woman he happens upon trying to commit suicide by the river next to his
shop.Keiko, also trying to heal mental wounds, starts to work at Takuro’s shop. They
both begin to feel a growing attraction for one another. However, incidents occur, pulling
them back to their pasts.