Ryūsuke Hamaguchi: Effect and Cause

This extensive survey of Oscar-winner Ryūsuke Hamaguchi films spans Happy Hour (2015), his international breakout feature, through Drive My Car (2021), winner of the 2022 Academy Award for Best International Film, and GIFT (2023), an exploration of music and film featuring a live performance by collaborating composer Eiko Ishibashi. Drawing on the work of figures like Éric Rohmer and John Cassavetes as influences, Hamaguchi crafts intimate and intricate reflections of people’s lives and relationships. Recently, Hamaguchi has become known for his unique method of staging acting workshops and extensive table reads with his casts.  

The series begins with an intimate, in-depth conversation with the Toronto International Film Festival curator Andréa Picard.

Co-presented by the Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment in Asian Studies.