J-Film Series presents: Akira Kurosawa's After the Rain June 23, 2008

After the Rain is the final screenplay written by Akira Kurosawa before his death in 1998. Takashi Koizumi, longtime assistant to Kurosawa, brought the film to life as director of his first feature film. Koizumi did his best to stay true to the vision of Japan’s greatest director. The result is a beautiful, but often overlooked, classic samurai tale.

Respecting the model of such timeless films as Sanjuro, Red Beard, and Yojimbo, After the Rain follows another wandering samurai on his travels through the land. The movie is based on a short story by Shugoro Yamamoto.

After the Rain features a host of Kurosawa’s leading men, including Akira Terao (AKIRA KUROSAWA’S DREAMS), Yoshiko Miyazaki (RAN), Hisashi Igawa (AKIRA KUROSAWA’S DREAMS), Tatsuya Nakadai (KAGEMUSHA) and Toshiro Mifune’s son, Shiro Mifune. After the Rain won 8 awards at the Awards of the Japanese Academy in 1999 including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay.

This presentation will feature a guest appearance by Teruyo Nogami, who assisted Koizumi in directing this film and was involved in the writing of many of Kurosawa’s masterpieces. She and actor Tatsuya Nakadai- who plays Gettan Tsuji in the film - will be visiting the United States for the beginning of a seven-week retrospective on Mr. Nakadai’s career at Film Forum in New York City. Mr. Nakadai is a legend of Japanese film with many starring roles such as in Kurosawa’s Kagemusha and Ran among many other films. Please see http://www.filmforum.org/films/nakadai.html for more information.

On June 22nd Ms. Nogami and Mr. Nakadai will be at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington DC for a screening of Yojimbo (1 pm) and the National Gallery of Art for a screening of I Am a Cat (5 pm).
In Japanese with English Subtitles 91 minutes 1999
This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required.
RSVP to [email protected]
Seating is limited and granted on a first come, first served basis

Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan
Lafayette Center III・1155 21st St NW・Washington DC 20036・202-238-6949・
www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc

Official Website: http://www.embjapan.org/jicc