ABOUT THE FILM

LONG SYNOPSIS

THE OZU DIARIES, from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Daniel Raim, offers both an intimate biography and revelatory portrait of Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu, one of cinema’s most original and enduring auteurs.

Drawing from a treasure trove of archival materialsō,journals, notebooks, correspondence, photographs, interviews and unseen home moviesō,the film opens a rare window into Ozu’s inner world and artistic process. With Ozu’s own words as guide, and enriched by reflections from filmmakers Wim Wenders, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Tsai Ming-liang, Luc Dardenne and others, Raim traces how Ozu transformed personal loss and wartime trauma into enduring masterpieces such as Late Spring, Tokyo Story, and An Autumn Afternoon.

His precise, deceptively simple stories and signature visual style became a vehicle for poetic, humanist explorations of family, love and impermanence. Deeply rooted in Japanese culture yet universally resonant, Ozu’s work continues to shape our understanding of cinema’s possibilities.

Writer & Director Daniel Raim

Producers Yuki Machida, Daniel Raim

Executive Producers Matthew & Natalie Bernstein, Hiromi Fujii, Charlie Tabesh, Eric Nyari

Editor Daniel Raim

Director of Photography Koichi Furuya

Original Music Dave Lebolt

Featuring Wim Wenders, Kyoko Kagawa, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Tsai Ming-liang, Luc Dardenne, Isao Shirosawa, Akiko Ozu, Michiko Yamanouchi, Shizuo Yamanouchi

FESTIVALS
2025: Venice International (World Premiere), Busan International (International Premiere), Fesitval do Rio, Tokyo International, AFI FEST (North American Premiere)

AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Digital Download