settima

@settima@zirk.us

儀式 [Gishiki / The Ceremony] (Nagisa Ōshima, 1971)

Jan

1

儀式 (1971)

A boy in school uniform has his ear pressed against the ground. DP: Tōichirō Narushima.

Traversées [Crossing Over] (Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, 1982)

Dec

31

1980

Traversées (1982)

The two passengers stuck on a ferry, endlessly traveling between shorelines (via). DP: Gilberto Azevedo.

 

The Book of Life (Hal Hartley, 1998)

Dec

31

1999

The Book of Life (1998)

The “New York News” of December 31, 1999. The headline reads LAST DAY OF CENTURY BELIEVERS PRAY FOR END. DP: Jim Denault.

“It was the morning of December 31, 1999 when I returned, at last, to judge the living and the dead. Though still, and perhaps always, I had my doubts.”

Sprawa Gorgonowej [The Gorgon Case] (Janusz Majewski, 1977)

Dec

30

1931

Sprawa Gorgonowej (1977)

Ewa Dałkowska as governess Rita Gorgonowa. DP: Zygmunt Samosiuk.

Canon City (Crane Wilbur, 1948)

Dec

30

1947

Canon City (1948)

A calendar page. It's December 30, 1947. DP: John Alton.

“We're not here to play dominoes.”

La noche de los Inocentes [Night of the Innocents] (Arturo Sotto Díaz, 2007)

Dec

28

La noche de los Inocentes (2007)

The cast in the hospital. Lighting and stances appear theatre-like. DP: Ernesto Granado.

姿三四郎 [Sugata Sanshirō / Judo Saga] (Akira Kurosawa, 1943)

Dec

26

8 p.m.

姿三四郎 (1943)

A letter beckoning to come to Ukyō-ku, on December 26, at 8 o'clock. DP: Akira Mimura.

“On the night of December 26, at 8:00 on Ukyō-ku.”

Balada pro banditu [Ballad for a Bandit] (Vladimír Sís, 1979)

Dec

24

Christmas Eve – Nikolas

Balada pro banditu (1979)

The bandit and his bride. DP: Viktor Růžička.

A Nikolas or Nicholas for Christmas Eve.

 

The tale of legendary highwayman Nikola Šuhaj from Koločava.

大佛廻國 [Daibutsu kaikoku / The Great Buddha Arrival] (Yoshirō Edamasa, 1934)

Dec

22

Daibutsu kaikoku (1934)

Buddha takes a holiday. A gigantic Buddha statue rests his hand on a multi-story building in possibly Kyoto. In front and sprawling out are multiple small wooden establishments with people in kimono and several bicycles in front of them. A tram, the only thing that suggests the 20th century, can be seen almost off-screen. (via). DPs: Haruzo Ando & Harumi Machii.

Something tall*

 

In this very early kaiju moving picture, Buddha returns and goes on a sightseeing trip through Japan.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.

Nowhere to Go (Seth Holt + Basil Dearden, 1958)

Dec

22

Tue

Nowhere to Go (1958)

A man checks into a hotel. A wall calendar reads December 22, a Tuesday. DP: Paul Beeson .

“Sloane! Be lucky!”

– Paul Gregory