[KineJapan] New Film: THE OZU DIARIES (Oscar-nominated director Daniel Raim) - now available for Campus Screenings

Tue Nov 11 10:19:39 EST 2025

I reviewed this for the currently online episode of NHK J-Flix. In the end, nearly everything I had to say about the film was cut!  But that might be good because the episode gives a nice sense for the film. 

I heard about this film and contacted the director..for reasons I’ll explain in a second. It was a lovely conversation and left me all the more excited to see the film. But it was also a puzzling conversation. Here was someone who had plunged into the diaries and had a feature film’s worth of things to say about them. However, he seemed a little guarded and keeping his cards close to his chest. I couldn’t imagine why…

But now that I have seen the film, I think I get it. Anyone who has read through the diaries (and everyone should!) might come away disappointed. They are focussed in on his daily life and gleaning information on his approach to cinema is nigh impossible. You do learn a lot about his obsessions and passions, that’s for sure. But for a brick of a book, they are somewhat perplexing. I was wondering how he’d use them in a documentary. 

He didn’t much at all. The film is titled The Ozu Diaries, but the film is more about Ozu than the diaries. We see them. There are quite a few quotes from them. But this is mainly a bio-pic of Ozu. And definitely the best. Must see. It will be great for teaching!  But anyone who loves Ozu will really enjoy this film. 

The diaries are a curiosity so they provide the hook. But the documentary uses them alongside standard interviews, letters, notes, high-quality clips from the films and other imagery. The latter is really the highlight for anyone who already knows Ozu. The director had the blessing of the studio and family and friends, so this is chock full of never-before-seen photographs. Amazing photographs. And even better: the home movies. Wow. Fantastic. 

But you won’t learn much about the diaries. 

However, I’m happy to say that you will soon. I am editing a translation of the entire diary by Adam Kuplowsky. The diaries are compiled in Japan (and French) into a book about 800 pages long. This is quite a feat. It’s a skilled and clever translation, which is called for because Ozu loved word play, poetry, the mixing of English and classical language, a little Chinese here and there, and many entertaining ditties. 

It should be out in the coming year or two. Keep your eye pealed for this. The diary is strange and wonderful, and we are including annotations to facilitate your read!

In the meantime, I recommend the new film for anyone who loves Ozu. 

Markus

> On Nov 4, 2025, at 8:35 AM, David Averbach via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
> 
> Hello all, and hisashiburi to some of you,
>  
> I am Creative Director of The Film Collaborative, a nonprofit independent film distributor.
>  
> Some very exciting news…we are handling physical exhibitions for Oscar-nominated filmmaker Daniel Raim’s new film THE OZU DIARIES (2025), which draws from master Yasujirō Ozu’s private journals, letters, photographs, drawings, and never-before-seen home movies to reveal the man behind the legend. Through Ozu's own words, combined with reflections from Kyoko Kagawa, Wim Wenders, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Tsai Ming-liang, and Luc Dardenne, the film traces how Ozu transformed personal loss and wartime trauma into enduring masterpieces.
>  
> Fresh off its recent premieres at International Festivals such as Venice, Busan, Rio de Janeiro, and two weekends ago at AFI FEST in Los Angeles and last weekend at the Tokyo International Film Festival, we are reaching out to offer Universities the chance to show this film as a public Campus Screening or in-Class as part of a film curriculum, during its first film festival window! We are now accepting applications to book the film during this 2025-26 academic year at the discounted educational rate of US $350.
> 
> Please note that library catalog requests and campus-network educational viewing will be offered at a later date, sometime during the 2026-27 academic year.
>  
> THE OZU DIARIES was produced in collaboration with Shochiku and Turner Classic Movies, and with incredible access to and blessing from Ozu’s family. Daniel Raim’s previous short featurette, "In Search of Ozu," was commissioned by the Criterion Collection to be on the Criterion channel and as a bonus material in one of the re-released Ozu box Blu-Ray sets.
> 
> Professors or Administrators: To receive a private screener link to the film, apply to show the film at your institution, or to add your name for catalog requests, please fill out the form below, and we’ll get back to you. Feel free to email me with any questions, although you can also ask questions in the form. (We cannot send screeners to individual students at this time, so if you are a student, please forward this message to one of your professors.)
>  
> https://airtable.com/app8ALm03YfCjEIMN/pagYCsdFCAjuCREBi/form
>  
> Sincerely,
>  
> David Averbach, PhD
> Creative Director
> The Film Collaborative
> 415-948-1789
> david at thefilmcollaborative.org
> thefilmcollaborative.org
> 
> David Averbach (he/him)
> Creative Director
> The Film Collaborative
>  	+1 415.948.1789 <tel:415.948.1789>
>  	david at thefilmcollaborative.org <mailto:david at thefilmcollaborative.org>
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