The Moon Has Risen (1955)

The Story

Veteran actor Kinuyo Tanaka was also one of Japan’s first female directors. In her second feature, co-written by Yasujiro Ozu, she casts the master’s favourite Chishu Ryu as a father living in a temple in Nara watching and advising his three daughters as they pursue and come to terms with their quests for love.

“Steering clear of Ozu’s trademark tatami mat view and preference for direct to camera speech, Tanaka’s lensing is shyer and avoids faces altogether to focus on the physical.”

• Hayley Scanlon

Introduced by Kiki Fung, Critic, Curator, Programmer Hong Kong International Film Festival

To read Jane Mills' program notes on the film, head here.

Rating

MA15+

Duration

Cast

Hisako Yamane, Yoko Sugi, Chishu Ryu

Director

Kinuyo Tanaka