The San Sebastián Festival Pays Tribute to Japanese Director Hiroshi Teshigahara

Credit: @hiroshiteshigaharafilm IG account - Pitfall (1962)

The renowned San Sebastián Festival is set to honor the legendary Japanese filmmaker Hiroshi Teshigahara with a special retrospective. The 71st edition of the festival will feature a classic film cycle dedicated to Teshigahara, showcasing his groundbreaking works from the 1960s. In collaboration with the Basque Film Archive, the festival will also release a book of interviews with the filmmaker, shedding light on his creative process and cinematic vision.

Hiroshi Teshigahara (1927-2001) emerged as a key figure in Japanese cinema during the 1960s, captivating audiences with his experimental and poetic films. His collaboration with renowned writer Kobo Abe resulted in several remarkable works that left a lasting impact on the industry. Although only one of his films, the acclaimed "Suna no onna" or "Woman in the Dunes" (1964), was distributed in Spain, it serves as a powerful representation of Teshigahara's artistic style and the era in which he thrived.

His first short film, "Hokusai," was released in 1953, followed by his debut feature, "Otoshi-ana" or "The Trap," in 1962. During this period, notable directors such as Nagisa Oshima, Seijun Suzuki, Shohei Imamura, Susumu Hani, Yoshishige Yoshida, and Masahiro Shinoda had already made their initial forays into filmmaking. While Teshigahara played a less prominent role in the Japanese New Wave movement and achieved relatively limited international recognition, his film "Woman in the Dunes" secured the special jury award at Cannes and earned him nominations for Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. In his own unique way, Teshigahara contributed to the conceptual revolution that reshaped Japanese cinema through innovative storytelling and filmmaking techniques.

One of the highlights of Teshigahara's career was his fruitful collaboration with Kobo Abe. Abe penned the script for "The Trap" and the adaptations of three novels that became Teshigahara's defining works: "Woman in the Dunes," "Tanin no kao" or "The Face of Another" (1966), and "Moetsukita chizu" or "The Man Without a Map" (1968). Additionally, Abe wrote the script for Teshigahara's segment titled "Ako" in the collective film "La fleur de l’âge" or "Les adolescents" (1964), which featured four stories about adolescence directed by Teshigahara, Jean Rouch, Michel Brault, and Gian Vittorio Baldi.

Credit: @hiroshiteshigaharafilm IG account - The Face of Another (1966)

Credit: @hiroshiteshigaharafilm IG account - Woman in the Dunes (1964)

Teshigahara's later films, "Rikyu" (1989) and "Go-hime" or "The Princess Goh" (1992), delved into historical narratives. He also ventured into television filmmaking and continuously produced documentaries of various lengths. Notably, his documentary "Antonio Gaudí" (1984), exploring the life and works of the Catalan modernist architect, remains one of his most renowned works.

The upcoming 71st San Sebastián Festival, taking place from September 22nd to 30th, will provide a platform to showcase the entire body of work of this relatively lesser-known director. While two of Teshigahara's films, "Woman in the Dunes" and "The Man Without a Map," have previously participated in the festival's curated cycles, this retrospective will ensure his comprehensive filmography receives the recognition it deserves. Furthermore, as a complementary element to the film cycle, the festival will release the book "Avant-garde Chronicles: Conversations with Hiroshi Teshigahara" by Inuhiko Yomota. Translated from Japanese by Daniel Aguilar, the publication will offer invaluable insights into the filmmaker's creative process and provide a deeper understanding of his artistic vision.

The San Sebastián Festival's retrospective and the accompanying book of interviews serve as a testament to Hiroshi Teshigahara's remarkable contributions to Japanese cinema. His experimental approach, poetic storytelling, and collaborations with Kobo Abe have left an indelible mark on the industry. By celebrating his work, the festival invites cinephiles to explore the rich tapestry of Teshigahara's films and appreciate his unique artistic legacy.