EQINOX FLOWER and THERE WAS A FATHER (BFI).

This Japanese double-bill by Yasujiro Ozo, formal and static, always beautifully designed, is notable for its restraint and subtle observations of Japanese life. In the first a father is determined to choose a husband for his daughter. Directed and acted with a sensitive touch, Ozo’s sympathies are with the younger generation. In the second film there is an excellent performance by Chrishu Ryu as a father who sacrifices his life so that his son can go to university. He expects his son, when he is grown up, to exercise the same duty, obedience and self-sacrifice.