Lettera Amorosa. 1995. Written and directed by João César Monteiro Ugetsu. 1953. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi

Film

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Ugetsu. 1953. Japan. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Courtesy Janus Films

Lettera Amorosa. 1995. Portugal. Written and directed by João César Monteiro. With Monteiro, Cláudia Teixeira. 35mm. In Portuguese; English subtitles. 5 min.

Ugetsu. 1953. Japan. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Screenplay by Matsutaro Kawaguchi, Yoshikata Yoda. With Machiko Kyo, Mitsuko Mito, Kinuyo Tanaka. DCP. In Japanese; English subtitles. 94 min.

In one of Mizoguchi’s greatest achievements, two men pursue fortune in 16th-century Japan by selling pottery to soldiers fighting in the country’s civil war, profiting from the bloodshed to feed selfish dreams of wealth and pride. As their ambition leads them astray from their war-torn families, a seductive spirit moves their lives into otherworldly territory. Mizoguchi’s haunting long takes, use of light, and exquisite framing forever influenced Monteiro’s interest in using the screen as a moving, surrealist extension of painting, music, and other arts. In Lettera Amorosa, Monteiro’s infamous alter ego João de Deus receives a visit from Joaninha, who he’d revisit in God’s Comedy.

This film accompanies João César Monteiro: Symphonies of a Libertine.

Past events

Mon, Oct 27, 2025, 4:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Fri, Oct 24, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1

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