Everything we know about French films, we learned from Eric Rohmer. At least for Japanese cinema lovers, that's what it felt like, especially in the late 20th century.
Until his death at age of 89 in 2010, Eric Rohmer directed 53 films and every one of them is uniquely "Rohmer," meaning that they embodied a romantic, elusive and ultimately indescribable notion of French culture that many Japanese found irresistible. Rohmer launched the Nouvelle Vague movement along with Francois Truffaut and Jean Luc Godard, and then quietly distanced himself from it. He also had a stint as the editor-in-chief of Cahier du Cinema in the early 1960s, and then stepped down.
Always passionate about films — and women — he worked on his own terms, creating works that inspired many in the business, including Richard Linklater and Quentin Tarantino.
Now eight of Rohmer's trademark titles have been digitally remastered and are currently playing until June 10 at Kadokawa Cinema in Yurakucho, Tokyo. "Claire's Knee" ("Le genou de Claire," 1970), "Pauline at the Beach" ("Pauline a la plage," 1983) and "The Collector" ("La collectionneuse," 1966) are in the line-up, and we get to see a bevy of French women converse, sip wine and philosophize about love in quintessential French Breton tees, incredible bikinis and linen dresses.
Francophiles, get ready to swoon.
The Eric Rohmer et se muses festival films will have Japanese subtitles only. For more details, visit bit.ly/rohmerfes