Cinémathèque Française programs retrospective of revolutionary filmmaker Masao Adachi

by Chris MaGee

Here is some very good news for fans of radical/ experimental Japanese filmmmaking and pinku eiga. The Cinémathèque Française will be mounting a major retrospective of the films of Masao Adachi. Most of you will know Adachi as being the longtime creative partner and screenwriter for pink film director Koji Wakamatsu, as well as the man who penned the screenplays for Nagisa Oshima's "Three Resurrected Drunkards" and "Diary of a Shinjuku Thief". Many more of you will also know Adachi for being a revolutionary whose connections with Japan's United Red Army and far left Palestinian Liberation groups had him labeled a terrorist and subsequently put on U.S. watch and no-fly lists.

This retrospective, that will run from November 29th to February 25th 2011, will give film fans a chance to see films by Adachi the director, including 1967's "Birth Control Revolution", 1969's "AKA: Serial Killer", 1970's "Gushing Prayer" (above) and 2005's "Prisoner/Terrorist", amongst many others. The retrospective will kick off on November 29th with an introductory round table discussion with Go Hirasawa and Nicole Brenez titled "Who are you... Koji Wakamatsu and Masao Adachi?". For a full listing of films being screened head over to Wildgrounds.