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Since the 1960s, the revered critic and theorist Shiguéhiko Hasumi has yielded an extraordinary body of work extending far beyond his origins as a scholar of French literature. Once instrumental in introducing Foucault and Deleuze to Japan, Hasumi has lent his interdisciplinary approach to a wide breadth of cultural and literary criticism, from Soseki to Madame Bovary, revolutionizing the field of film studies during the 1970s with his writings and fabled lectures at Rikkyo, and later, the University of Tokyo. With an impressive roster of accolades—from presiding as the President of the University of Tokyo (1997-2001) to being awarded the prestigious Yukio Mishima Prize—Hasumi’s stature in intellectual spheres surpasses that of mere critic or scholar. Mentor of Kiyoshi Kurosawa and attributed with having “single-handedly resurrected the status of Ozu”, Hasumi is critical to understanding the development of not just Japanese film theory and criticism, but cinema itself. Filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) has expressed, in relation to the profound impact of Hasumi’s influence, “It would not be an exaggeration to say that Hasumi, in one sense, made contemporary Japanese cinema, particularly since the collapse of the studio system.”
The perceived canon of Japanese cinema has long been dominated, not surprisingly, by the voices of Western critics: Bordwell, Schrader, Richie, with little attention paid to the sphere of Japanese scholarship, often compounded by the hurdles of language. Hasumi, whose writings constitute a dominant force in Japan, has only just received the first English-language translation of one of his long-form works last year: the landmark 1983 publication Directed by Yasujiro Ozu—considered one of the greatest works ever written on film. Distinguished by his unique critical perspective, stylistic prose, and proposition of thematic systems (a focus on gestures such as John Ford’s use of throwing or Ozu’s focus on eating or laughing), the introduction of Hasumi’s texts to English-speaking audiences is not merely welcomed, but inarguably crucial and vital.
On occasion, Japan Society has invited influential public figures to present curated programs, these include critic and essayist Susan Sontag, Donald Richie, Hiroshi Sugimoto and avant-garde composer John Zorn among others. Offered a carte blanche, Hasumi has proposed Another History of the Movie in America and Japan, which suggests the line drawn between the two world cinemas is much less realized than one could imagine.
Guest-curated by Shiguéhiko Hasumi