The Ozu Diaries: Japanese Film Festival 2026

Legendary filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu is a major figure in cinema history, with several of his films such as Tokyo Story and Late Spring regularly featuring near the top of ‘greatest films of all time’ lists. In this fascinating documentary, director Daniel Raim explores the life and work of Ozu through his own words – focusing on the detailed diaries he kept throughout his life, encompassing everything from his film work through to his experiences in the Japanese army during World War II.

Raim also interviews contemporary filmmakers such as Wim Wenders and Kiyoshi Kurosawa about their fondness for Ozu’s work, as well as including new interviews with some of Ozu’s surviving creative collaborators. Accompanied by clips from throughout Ozu’s body of work, the result is an intimate and illuminating deep dive into Ozu’s work that has plenty to offer for fans and newcomers alike.