Nikkatsu Corporation has agreed with Brilliant Pictures and Carlotta Films to co-screen Yves Montmayeur’s documentary “Twist & Shoot: Mr. Suzuki,” which examines the life and legacy of cult Japanese film director Seijun Suzuki.
Under the deal, Nikkatsu will handle international sales of the film, while Carlotta Films will retain distribution rights throughout French-speaking Europe. This documentary is a co-production between Beer Productions and Emerald Films.
Director Montmayeur, who won the Golden Lion for Best Documentary at the 2015 Venice Film Festival for The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Maddin, looks at the life and work of Seijun Suzuki. The film depicts how director Suzuki redefined postwar Japanese cinema by ignoring the conventions of the studio system and establishing a style built on flashy pop art imagery and aggressive formal experimentation.
The documentary features filmmakers such as John Woo and Mika Ninagawa, as well as Seijun Suzuki himself. Produced by Arthur Gainville and Jean-Marie Nizan, supported by Canal+ OCS, the National Center for Cinema and Animation, and La Procilep.
Nikkatsu said in a statement: “We are honored to be part of this project and to help bring new attention to one of Nikkatsu’s most influential and visionary filmmakers. We hope that this remarkable new work will introduce Seijun Suzuki’s groundbreaking work to a younger generation and inspire new audiences around the world to discover his unique cinematic legacy.”
Carlotta Films is a French distribution company that specializes in traditional and cult films, and has previously produced documentaries about filmmakers such as Satoshi Kon and Kinuyo Tanaka. Founded in 1912, Nikkatsu is one of Japan’s oldest studios and a member of the Yomiuri-Nippon Television Group.
