The Written Face, dir. Daniel Schmid, Switzerland/Japan 1995, Japanese with English subtitles, 94 min.
Book tickets
An eminent figure in Swiss cinema and close friend of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Daniel Schmid once described his films as "illusions and dreams that dissolve," unfolding in "liminal realms." Shot on 16mm with luminous cinematography by Renato Berta, The Written Face is a fantastical exploration of the art of performance shaped by Schmid’s singular aestheticism. At its centre is Bando Tamasaburo V, an unparalleled onnagata (a kabuki actor who plays female roles) and Living National Treasure, offering rare accounts of his professionalism and the meaning for him to embody women. The film also features legends such as Haruko Sugimura, Kazuo Ohno, Han Takehara, and Tsutakiyokomatsu Asaji, documenting their lifelong dedication to artistic pursuits. Twilight Geisha Story, a dramatic segment within the film, was created with assistance from Shinji Aoyama.
The ICA is delighted to present The Written Face in a new 4K restoration in collaboration with Cinémathèque Suisse.
The screening will be introduced by the season curator Yuriko Hamaguchi.
The ICA is delighted to present The Written Face in a new 4K restoration in collaboration with Cinémathèque Suisse.
The screening will be introduced by the season curator Yuriko Hamaguchi.
Yuriko Hamaguchi is an MA student in film curation at the National Film and Television School. Her areas of interest include Japanese and ESEA cinema as well as transnational film histories, with recent curatorial work including Other Ways of Seeing at Cinema Rediscovered 2025 (co-curator) and Park Circus’s Transnational Japan in Hollywood season.
Book tickets
06:30 pm
Sat, 01 Nov 2025
Cinema 2
Ticket information
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Access information
Cinema 2
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- Arm rest either side of the seat dimensions: L 27 x W 7 x H 20
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