Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2011

One of the titans of 20th-century cinema, Eric Rohmer, is the subject of an all-night tribute at Shin-Bungeiza in Ikebukuro on April 9 (3F, 1-43-5 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku; www.shin-bungeiza.com). The screening focuses on later works by the French New Wave pioneer, who passed away last year at the age of 89. Boyfriends and Girlfriends (1987) is about a love triangle among young Parisians, while Romance of Astree and Celadon (2007; pictured), Rohmer’s final film, is a love story set in the time of the Druids… The independent Japanese flick Rock ‘n Roll wa Nari Tomaranai is screening at art house Pole Pole (4-4-1 Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku; www.mmjp.or.jp/pole2). Released April 2, the youth drama tells the story of music fans whose paths cross after they all attend a show by real-life indie band Shinsei Kamattechan… Cinema Vera (1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku; www.cinemavera.com) is screening a selection of early works by influential Japanese director Kon Ichikawa from April 2-8. Ichikawa started his career shortly after WWII, and his early films depict Japanese characters struggling to return to a normal life. Human Patterns (1948), for instance, is about a department store manager seeking a marriage partner.

Unless otherwise noted, Japanese films are shown without English subtitles and non-English language films are shown with only Japanese subtitles.