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Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara

Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara

8 Episodes

One of the most acclaimed Japanese directors of all time, Hiroshi Teshigahara distinguished himself in the 1960s with a series of sinuous, atmospheric, and daring films. With enigmatic art-house touchstones like the existential ghost story PITFALL, the shocking erotic fable WOMAN IN THE DUNES, and the the sci-fi–tinged nightmare THE FACE OF ANOTHER—Kafkaesque portraits of identities in peril made in collaboration with novelist and screenwriter Kobo Abe—he captivated mainstream audiences while also touching the edges of the Japanese avant-garde. Meanwhile, his bold visual sensibility and wide-ranging appreciation for the arts found expression in his striking documentary works, most notably the dazzling architectural rhapsody ANTONIO GAUDÍ.

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Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara

8 Episodes

  • Hokusai
    23:04
    Hokusai
    Episode 1

    Hokusai

    Episode 1

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1953 • Japan

    In his first short film, Hiroshi Teshigahara explores the work of the wood-block artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849).

  • Ikebana
    32:37
    Ikebana
    Episode 2

    Ikebana

    Episode 2

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1957 • Japan

    The Sogetsu School of Ikebana, now a center for modern sculpture and pottery, was originally renowned for its instruction in the art of flower arranging. In this documentary, Hiroshi Teshigahara presents the Sogetsu School and its founder and grand ...

  • Pitfall
    1:37:06
    Pitfall
    Episode 3

    Pitfall

    Episode 3

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1962 • Japan
    Starring Hisashi Igawa, Kunie Tanaka, Hideo Kanze

    When a miner leaves his employers and treks out with his young son to become a migrant worker, he finds himself moving from one eerie landscape to another, intermittently followed (and photographed) ...

  • Sculptures by Sofu—Vita
    17:26
    Sculptures by Sofu—Vita
    Episode 4

    Sculptures by Sofu—Vita

    Episode 4

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1963 • Japan

    The following is a short film that Hiroshi Teshigahara made in 1963. It documents the installation of a sculpture exhibition at the Sogetsu Institute by his father, Sofu Teshigahara.

  • Ako
    28:50
    Ako
    Episode 5

    Ako

    Episode 5

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1964 • Japan

    Depicting one night in the life of a young girl and her rowdy friends, Hiroshi Teshigahara’s AKO—also known as WHITE MORNING—was part of an omnibus film titled LA FLEUR DE L’ÂGE OU LES ADOLESCENTES, commissioned by the National Film Board of Canada.

  • Woman in the Dunes
    2:27:17
    Woman in the Dunes
    Episode 6

    Woman in the Dunes

    Episode 6

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1964 • Japan
    Starring Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida

    One of the 1960s’ great international art-house sensations, WOMAN IN THE DUNES (SUNA NO ONNA) was for many the grand unveiling of the surreal, idiosyncratic world of Hiroshi Teshigahara. Eiji Okada plays an amateur...

  • The Face of Another
    2:01:59
    The Face of Another
    Episode 7

    The Face of Another

    Episode 7

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1966 • Japan
    Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Machiko Kyo, Mikijiro Hira

    A staggering work of existential science fiction, THE FACE OF ANOTHER dissects identity with the sure hand of a surgeon. Okuyama (YOJIMBO’s Tatsuya Nakadai), after being burned and disfigured in a...

  • Antonio Gaudí
    1:12:13
    Antonio Gaudí
    Episode 8

    Antonio Gaudí

    Episode 8

    Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara • 1984 • Japan

    Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) designed some of the world’s most astonishing buildings, interiors, and parks; Japanese director Hiroshi Teshigahara constructed some of the most aesthetically audacious films ever made. In ANTONIO GAUDÍ, t...

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