The British Film Institute is trying to educate Westerners on the work of director Tomu Uchida (1898-1970) by presenting rare screenings of his major movies in London this month.
Incorporating 13 films and spanning much of his career, the program aims to unearth for Britons Uchida's "stylistically intelligent" movies, many of which are still considered avant-garde.
"Uchida's work offers the pleasure of watching a master craftsman make films whose power and flair can still be savored by viewers of any cultural background," the institute's introduction to the late director says.
Among the films to be shown, "Police Officer," made in 1933 and one of Uchida's only remaining prewar prints, is described as "an accomplished silent thriller boasting a classical gangster-film plotline."