Japanese Underground Cinema Program 5

The Deserted Archipelago

1969. Japan. Directed by Katsu Kanai. Screenplay by Kanai, Yuji Yamazaki, Yuki Miyata. With Kazumi Kushida, Yoshihiro Kato, Shinichi Iwata, Jushin Sato. Kanai’s debut is a landmark in experimental narrative cinema. Upon reaching adolescence, a young man escapes the monastery where he suffered a tortured childhood. During his flight, he encounters strange deities, including overgrown babies played by the performance artists Zero-Jigen and his own doppelganger, spawned in an utterly creepy manner. Courtesy the filmmaker. Digital projection. In Japanese; English subtitles. 56 min.