Silent Naruse

Aroview: A collection of silent era films from renowned Japanese director Mikio Naruse, the only five from the 1930's that still exist today, featuring new scores by pianists Robin Holcomb and Wayne Horvitz.

Discs 1 & 2:

Flunky, Work Hard (1931, 29 min) - A charming short comedy about an insurance salesman. Starring Shizue Akiyama, Seiichi Katô and Tomoko Naniwa.

No Blood Relation (1932, 79 min) - A successful Hollywood actress returns to Tokyo to reclaim her abandoned daughter, with the help of her gangster brother. Features a screenplay by Ozu's famed collaborator Kogo Noda. Starring Yoshiko Okada, Shin'yô Nara and Yukiko Tsukuba.

Discs 3 & 4:

Apart From You (1933, 64 min) - One of the first Naruse films to depict the lives of working class women, a subject which would fascinate him for the next three decades. The life of an aging geisha is contrasted with a youthful counterpart. Starring Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Akio Isono and Sumiko Mizukubo.

Every-Night Dreams (1933, 64 min) - Follows a single mother who works as a bar hostess in the dockside neighborhoods of Tokyo. Starring Sumiko Kurishima, Teruko Kojima and Jun Arai.

Disc 5:

Street Without End (1934, 89 min) - Beautifully shot melodrama following the fate of a popular and attractive waitress whose life takes a turn when a wealthy businessman accidentally hits her with a car. Starring Setsuko Shinobu, Akio Isono and Hikaru Yamanouchi.