POP Japan is a series celebrating the convergence of the cult, pulp, and popular in Japanese film and art, running at TIFF Bell Lightbox from May 10 to June 27. POP Japan includes three film series: Seijun Suzuki, marking the iconoclast director’s centenary with six 35mm prints; World of Anime, a survey of Japan’s most influential animes, co-curated by Yuki Ohsawa; and Miyazaki Spotlight, a four-film ode to the “godfather of animation” and co-founder of Studio Ghibli.
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POP Japan: Seijun Suzuki
In celebration of his centenary, this showcase includes six 35mm films by iconoclastic Japanese director Seijun Suzuki (1923–2017), whose bold, pop-art approach innovated genres from pulp crime to the period ghost story.
Art activations and free public programming transform the TIFF Bell Lightbox atrium, extending the themes and aesthetics of POP Japan and offering audiences different ways to engage with the series. Programming includes Reimagining: Narratives of tension and wonder, an exhibition featuring works by Mitsuo Kimura and Toko Hosoya; an Ikebana demonstration by artist Aya Sugino; Neon Otaku, a mural by Tim Fukakusa (a.k.a Ekwal) programmed in partnership with StreetARToronto and supported by the Japan Foundation; and sets by DJ Sakiko Nagai.
Come by the TIFF Bell Lightbox atrium on May 10 between 7pm and 9pm for the opening reception of Reimagining: Narratives of tension and wonder.
Seijun Suzuki and World of Anime are generously supported by the Japan Foundation, Toronto.