Mourning Forest / Mogari no mori (2007)

One of the characters in The Mourning Forest says, “There are no formal rules here, you know.” That could be used as a motto for Naomi Kawase's movie. On the surface it is a simple story of an old man who wanders away from his young caregiver. She gets lost with him in the forest …

She and He / Kanojo to kare (1963)

She and He is one of the earliest films distributed (but not produced) by the Art Theatre Guild,* and it bears the stamp of many of the later ATG productions: 4x3 format in b&w, a disjointed narrative line, cryptic relationships, location rather than studio work, often with hand-held camera, and an obvious consciousness of being …