Flowing
Dir: Naruse Mikio
Japan, 1956, 117minmins, DCP
Cast: Yamada Isuzu, Tanaka Kinuyo, Takamine Hideko, Sugimura Haruko
Capturing life in the midst of changing times, Flowing is based on Koda Aya’s remarkable autobiographical novel about women who cohabit a geisha house in decline. The widowed Rika (Tanaka Kinuyo, well known as Mizoguchi’s Oharu) works as a maid in the house run by proud mistress Tsutayako (Yamada Isuzu), who strives to save not only her struggling establishment but also a fading way of life. A complicated portrait about work, traditions and the illusions of female camaraderie, this magnificent and poignant ensemble piece shines with performances by some of Japan’s finest actresses.
#8 in 1956 Kinema Junpo’s Top 10
1957 Blue Ribbon Awards, Best Actress
Lecture: Art Time vs the Time of Capital | Speaker: Chris Fujiwara
(Conducted in English)
Flowing is set mostly inside a geisha house, where Naruse carefully interweaves two contrasting experiences of time. Devoted to art, beauty, and comfort, the protagonists seek to perpetuate the drifting, indefinite feeling of time that belongs to their profession. Their way of life is threatened by intruders and exploiters who bring with them the quick and abrupt temporality of postwar Japan. This discussion will trace the conflict between these two times throughout Flowing.
Package Discount for “Naruse Mikio: Floating, Drifting, Meandering”
– 30% discount to each purchase of standard tickets to ALL 6 sessions, and get a free copy of Naruse Mikio, 110th Anniversary catalogue*; or
– 20% discount to each purchase of 2 or above standard tickets to difference sessions.
* Audience MUST present ALL 6 original tickets of “Naruse Mikio: Floating, Drifting, Meandering” screenings for the catalogue redemption on-site 30 minutes prior to the screening.
Hong Kong Arts Centre Louis Koo Cinema (Venue)
Chinese Subtitles
Post-screening talk
Remarks
- On-the-day Ticket Purchase Arrangement : Tickets are available at URBTIX outlets until one hour before the screening, after which tickets are available at URBTIX website and mobile app. On-the-day tickets will also be available at the Self-service Ticketing Kiosk of the respective venue, subject to availability.
- Unless otherwise stated, all films (except English-speaking films) are subtitled in English.
- While it is the HKIFFS’s policy to secure the best possible print of the original version for all its screenings, the HKIFFS appreciates its patrons’ understanding on occasions when less than perfect screening copies are screened.
