Filmmaker Daniel Raim has been watching and thinking about Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu for 23 years, ever since he first encountered Ozu’s final masterpiece, “An Autumn Afternoon.” His obsession has already produced the excellent documentaries “In Search of Ozu” and “Ozu & Noda.” Now, Raim has created his most illuminating work on Ozu to date, the Turner Classic Movies original documentary “The Ozu Diaries,” which will premiere on TCM on May 5 following a screening at the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood.
“The Ozu Diaries” kicks off a 20-film tribute to the legendary Ozu that will run on TCM throughout May, and it provides essential context through material taken directly from Ozu’s personal writings. Whereas Raim’s previous films on Ozu were told primarily from the perspective of collaborators and fans, this one explores the intersection between Ozu’s personal life and his filmmaking in ways that will give even the most learned Ozu enthusiast a new way of looking at the films.
“The creative process was really to sit with Ozu and absorb a lifetime of diary entries and interviews,” Raim told IndieWire. “We all love director commentaries, but there’s never been a director’s commentary for ‘Tokyo Story.’ Or ‘An Autumn Afternoon’ — what was he thinking about his craft? There are so many wonderful books and so much important scholarship on Ozu, but I wanted to look at Ozu and understand him from the perspective of the man himself.”
One of the most revelatory aspects of “The Ozu Diaries” is its examination of how World War II shaped Ozu and transformed him as a filmmaker; Raim’s documentary makes it clear that the war had as profound an effect on Ozu as it did on American directors like George Stevens and John Huston. For Raim, the war and its influence provided a theme that could help organize decades’ worth of material and guide what to include in the film and what to leave out.
Part of the greatness of “The Ozu Diaries” lies in Raim’s ability to welcome the uninitiated into Ozu’s world without boring Ozu fanatics — like Ozu’s own work, the documentary is dense and layered yet completely accessible, making it the perfect gateway for movie lovers who have yet to discover Ozu’s rich filmography. Raim credits his producing partner, Yuki Machida, and the cooperation of the Ozu family with allowing him to show a side of the director that will be quite new to most viewers.
“It was such a treasure to have the trust of the Ozu family and these incredible archivists in Japan that really allowed us to present Ozu in a light that no one has seen before,” Raim said, noting that the discovery of some Ozu home movies was particularly vital in telling the director’s story. Alicia Malone, host of the TCM Imports franchise, notes that Raim’s documentary offers “a beautiful introduction to Ozu’s life and artistry. His films explore family, generational change, and the quiet passage of time with extraordinary sensitivity, and this month-long showcase gives us the chance to share many of his masterpieces with new audiences.”
“I’m so excited that TCM is having an Ozu party in North America,” Raim said. “It’s incredible, and it’s a big honor to be a part of it.”
The television premiere of “The Ozu Diaries” will air on Turner Classic Movies on Tuesday, May 5. TCM’s Ozu retrospective runs on Tuesday nights throughout May.
