The Melbourne Cinémathèque & ACMI present
Forever a Woman (Aka The Eternal Breasts)
When
Wed 15 Nov 2023
Based on the autobiography of poet Fumiko Nakajo, who died of breast cancer in 1954 aged 31, this unflinching namida chodai (tear-jerker) is a rare view of Japanese society from a truly female perspective. Avoiding melodrama and sentimentality, it depicts a rural Japanese woman’s struggle through a mastectomy, divorce, single motherhood and growing independence. Shot using low angles, deep staging and frequent close-ups, Tanaka shows the influence of Ozu and Naruse on her filmmaking, while approaching the story scripted by Sumie Tanaka with her signature lyricism. Starring Yumeji Tsukioka.
Also screening on Wed 15 November
Program
Behind the Screen: Kinuyo Tanaka, trailblazing filmmaker
The Moon Has Risen (1955) – Wed 15 Nov, 7pm
Forever a Woman (A.K.A The Eternal Breasts) (1955) – Wed 15 Nov, 9pm
Love Under the Crucifix (1962) – Wed 22 Nov, 7pm
The Wandering Princess (1960) – Wed 22 Nov, 8.55pm
About the program
Kinuyo Tanaka (1909–77) is one of the greatest and most prolific screen actors and – after Sakane Tazuko – only the second woman to make it as a film director in the Japanese film industry. Appearing in 250 films over the span of 50 years, Tanaka acquired her first screen credit aged 14, while her major breakthrough came in films such as Ozu’s I Graduated But… (1929)...
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About Melbourne Cinémathèque
Australia's longest-running film society, Melbourne Cinémathèque screens significant works of international cinema in the medium they were created, the way they would have originally screened.
Melbourne Cinémathèque is self-administered, volunteer-run, not-for-profit and membership-driven.
