From France to Taipei, film evolves and alters the cultural landscape around it. Some films and filmmakers leave an even deeper influence behind. Look behind the scenes with five documentaries that explore what goes into becoming a legendary filmmaker.<\/p>\n
Beloved explorer Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas<\/a>, Alice in the Cities<\/a><\/em>) was mystified by the work of late Director Yasujiro Ozu<\/a> (Late Spring<\/a>, Tokyo Story<\/a><\/em>). So, the German director went searching through the streets of Toyko for evidence of Ozu’s legacy in this hybrid travel diary and filmmaker portrait.<\/p>\n This is not a passive or nostalgic reflection by Wenders. He found cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta<\/a>, who collaborated with Ozu for more than twenty years, and requested a demonstration of their fixed-camera filming process, complete with the same model of heavy Mitchell camera the pair used on their final shoots. Actor Chishu Ryu<\/a> sits embarrassed as Wenders gushes about his respect for the longtime Ozu lead. (He once watched two Ozu films featuring Ryu on the same day, Wenders says, and never before had he felt such respect for the actor.)<\/p>\n The methodical nature of Ozu’s process, on all fronts, comes through clearly, thanks to Wenders’s narration. Here, fans of Wenders can catch a glimpse of him as a studious fan, which will delight those who love his films for their Ozu-inspired economy.<\/p>\n