One of Mizoguchi's greatest achievements of the silent era, this shimpa melodrama tells the tragic story of a woman whose repeated self-sacrifices undergird the social advancement of the man she loves. This screening presents a new 4K digital restoration based on a 35mm internegative produced in 1999 from multiple 16mm prints. The adoption of a more natural projection speed of 20 frames per second restores the full grace of Mizoguchi's celebrated long takes and the precision of his direction.
Restored by: Yanai Initiative, National Film Archive of Japan
Restoration Services: Imagica Entertainment Media Services, Inc.
Supported by: Yanai Initiative（The Art of the Benshi）
Mizoguchi was born in Tokyo in 1898. Following his debut in 1923, he was noted for Kaminingyo Haru no Sasayaki (1926). After Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion (1936), he won the International Award for The Life of Oharu (1952), the Silver Lion for Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), and Sansho Dayu (1954) at the Venice Film Festival, making his name known globally. He died suddenly in 1956 at the age of 58.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
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