A film week featuring 14 timeless films of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akiro Kurosawa began with screening of Sunjuro and Seven Samurai at the National Museum Auditorium on Friday. International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM), Japan Foundation, Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh and the National Museum have jointly organised the film week in observing Akira Kurosawa’s 16th death anniversary, which fell on September 6.Shiro Sadoshima, ambassador of the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, inaugurated the festival as chief guest. Faizul Latif Chowdhury, director general of the museum; Mirza Abdul Khaleque, chairman of International Academy of Film and Media and noted filmmaker Jean-Nesar Osman were also present as guests at the inauguration programme.
Festival opener Sanjuro revolves around a samurai who saves his uncle who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent. Seven Samurai is also a samurai film which depicts a poor village under attack by bandits. Seven unemployed samurai step forward to help the villagers fight the bandits.
The festival also features Kurosawa’s other films including Ikiru, Rashomon, Madadayo, The Idiot, The Hidden Fortress, Dersu Uzala, Yojimbo, Red Beard, High and Low, The Lower Depths, Dodesukaden and Throne of Blood. The films are screened at the following hours: 11:00am, 3:00pm and 6:00pm, everyday of the week.
The film week also features a three-day workshop titled Explore Kurosawa, which will start from today at the Sufia Kamal Auditorium of the museum. Sanjoy Ghosh, a cine activist from Kolkata will conduct the workshop which can be attended for a fee of Tk 200.
Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) is one of the most renowned filmmakers of the last century. He is named among the most influential filmmakers in the world.
Kurosawa directed 30 films in his career spanning 57 years. A total of 13 Kurosawa films will be screened for Dhaka film lovers at the festival till September 25.
-With New Age input
