JAEFF: Bad Boys & Studio Sunrise, Japanese New Wave Cinema

After the talk on the Tremors of the Japanese New Wave, I take my seat in the Barbican theatre for Bad Boys (Hani, 1961) and Studio Sunrise (Aoki, 2017). Inspired by a passionate and detailed discussion about how post-war Japan tilted the lens of cinema toward protest and social commentary, I’m ready to take in a product of that age alongside a more contemporary avant-garde piece. The cinema is nearly full, as the screen illuminates to present Kioto Aoki’s Studio Sunrise.