KIKU AND ISAMU

Join us for a screening of KIKU AND ISAMU on Saturday, June 11 at 7PM. Presented as part of the “Black Actors in Foreign Cinema” series with Blacknuss Network.

Immediately after the Second World War, sister Kiku and brother Isamu, whose mother was a prostitute and father was a black GI, go to live with their grandmother in a small village. Because their skin color and hair are different, the two are bullied and treated like unusual creatures. Directed by Tadashi Imai, a radical socialist known for his social realist films often described as ‘nakanai realism’ or ‘realism without tears’, this exceptional film tells a multi-layered tale about race, culture, and identity. At the heart of this brilliant film, a purely innocent KiKu asks her grandmother a simple but most profound question: ”Why are some people black and some people white?” (1959, Japan, 117 mins)

Winner of the 10th Blue Ribbon Awards in 1959 for Best Film, Best Actress (Tanie Kitabayashi) and Best Screenplay (Youko Mizuki).

Directed by Tadashi Imai

Written by Yôko Mizuki

Key Cast: Emiko Takahashi, Tanie Kitabayashi, George Okunoyama

About the Black Actors in Foreign Cinema Series

After World War I, the presence of African-Americans and African colonial subjects exploded in Europe, and a Black presence began to be felt in foreign cinema in the UK, Switzerland, France, Italy and, after World War II, in Japan. “Black Actors in Foreign Cinema” presents some of these films, which showcase Black actors in roles quite unlike the stereotypes prevailing in Hollywood.

Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema

In-person screenings are held at Chicago Filmmakers firehouse cinema located at 1326 W Hollywood Ave in the Edgewater neighborhood. Please be sure to arrive 15 minutes prior to showtime and be ready to present your order confirmation number for admission. Proof of full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 PCR test result is required to attend all screenings and events. Click here for accessibility information.