The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will salute the life and career of director Akira Kurosawa during a three-month celebration that will include a retrospective screening series and a new exhibition showcasing the directorÕs original artwork, which has rarely been seen outside of Japan. The kickoff will be Thursday, September 18, at 8 p.m., when the Academy will premiere of a new restoration of the 1950 masterpiece ÒRashomonÓ in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Hosted by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan, the evening will include a panel discussion with KurosawaÕs collaborators, friends and family, including son Hisao Kurosawa, who is the head of Kurosawa Productions. Following the film and discussion, the new exhibition ÒAkira Kurosawa: Film ArtistÓ will be unveiled in the Academy galleries in Beverly Hills.
Pictured here: Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyo as they appear in RASHOMON, 1950.
