Hiroshi Shimizu Film Series

Considered a master of the humanist gaze, Shimizu filmed everyday life with a simplicity that continues to surprise: relatable characters, small gestures and stories that breathe freedom, tenderness and deep compassion for the human.

The programme brings together key titles that make it possible to observe the evolution of his language, from Japanese Girls at the Harbour (1933), one of his best-known silent films, to works from the 1950s such as Shiinomi School and The Sound of the Mist, filmed during the golden age of Japanese cinema. Between these two extremes appear gems such as The Masseurs and a Woman, The Tower of Introspection and Notes of a Travelling Singer, works that show the thematic and formal breadth of a filmmaker always attentive to the margins and to understated emotions.

Far from grand artifices, Shimizu’s cinema favours light staging and a narrative that flows naturally, turning every story into an intimate observation of the world. This series offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in a filmography that, decades later, still conveys a sense of fresh air and an honest gaze.