Fascinated by Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu, whom Wim Wenders regarded as a sacred treasure of cinema, Wenders set off from what is then West Germany to Japan in search of the vestige of Ozu’s cinematic legacy and what may have remained of the world depicted in his works. Featuring conversations with Ozu’s cinematographer Yuhara Atsuta as well as interviews with Chris Marker and Werner Herzog, Tokyo-Ga is an exquisite, closely observed essay film that thoughtfully contemplates the transformation of modern Japan through its wondrous scenes, objects, and the daily habits of its people. It is a moving and honest portrait of Wenders himself—an artist seeking ’a useable, true and valid image, one in which he cannot only see himself but rather learn something about himself.’

The screening on 10 June will be followed by a post-screening talk with M+ Curator of Moving Image Chanel Kong, and Annabel Preston, Intern of M+ Moving Image.

Wim Wenders (b. 1945, Germany) is a filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He studied at the University of Television and Film Munich during the late 1960s. A pioneer of New German Cinema in the 1970s, Wenders’ works are recognized for their rich visual imagery. Besides Tokyo-Ga, he is also known for his works Paris, Texas (1984) and his documentaries Buena Vista Social Club (1999) and The Salt of the Earth (2014).