Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2010

©Nikkatsu

Fans of classic Japanese cinema will want to catch the latest in the “Showa Heroine” series at Laputa in Asagaya (2-12-21 Asagaya-Kita, Suginami-ku; www.laputa-jp.com/laputa). The retrospective of films starring Yoko Minamida, running through December 30, includes a documentary about the final days of the actress, who succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease last year. Also to be screened is the influential Season of the Sun (1956; pictured), based on a novel by none other than Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara.

Shin-Bungeiza in Ikebukuro (3F, 1-43-5 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku; www.shin-bungeiza.com) will host an all-night tribute to influential Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986), who is known for his meditative visual style and the philosophical nature of his stories. The November 6 screening includes the two films the director made outside the strict censorship of Russia: Nostalghia (1983), which was shot in Italy, and his final film, The Sacrifice (1985), made in Sweden.

Drop by K’s Cinema in Shinjuku (3-35-13 Shinjuku; www.ks-cinema.com) for a celebration of prolific French actor Alain Delon, who has appeared in over 90 films in his long career. The lineup includes The Black Tulip (1964), set during the French Revolution, and the French-Italian co-production Rocco and his Brothers (1960). Runs until November 12.

Unless noted, Japanese films screen without English subtitles. Non-English-language films are shown with Japanese subtitles only