Passion Against Obstacles : Prominent films from Japanese New Wave
22/11 – 7/12/2025 @K11 Art House
The emergence of the “Japanese New Wave” marked a change in Japan’s film industry in the 1960s—major studios reduced production, independent filmmaking rose, and more artistically radical works were self-produced and distributed. This liberated Japanese cinema enriched its themes and forms, and made it more diverse. Although Ko Nakahira’s Crazed Fruit (1956) and Yasuzo Masumura’s Kisses (1957) foreshadowed the impending upheaval, it wasn’t until 1960, the release of Naked Youth, the industry truly felt the shockwave. A tidal wave of a new generation rolled in. In a present where the future is unclear and moral standards are chaotic, it is time to revisit how cinema has used wisdom and courage to confront adversity, and carve out new paths amidst the chaos.
Curator Honkaz Fung
Naked Youth (4K Digitally restored version) Nagisa OSHIMA
1960｜ Japan｜ Colour｜96 min｜ In Japanese with Chi & Eng subtitles
22/11 (Sat）7:15pm* ｜ 30/11 (Sun）7:50pm
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Pale Flower (4K Digitally restored version) Masahiro SHINODA
1964｜ Japan｜ B & W ｜96 min｜In Japanese with Chi & Eng subtitles
23/11 (Sun）7:50pm ｜ 7/12 (Sun）7:40pm^
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The Island Kaneto SHINDO
1960｜ Japan｜ B & W ｜96 min ｜No Dialogue
28/11 (Fri）7:20pm* ｜ 5/12 (Fri）7:50pm
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Profound Desires of the Gods (4K Digitally restored version) Shohei IMAMURA
1968｜ Japan｜ Colour｜175 min｜In Japanese with Chi & Eng subtitles
29/11 (Sat）6:35pm ｜ 6/12 (Sat） 6:35pm
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* Post screening sharing * ^ Pre-screening introduction^