The Japan Foundation is delighted to partner with the British Film Institute and Independent Cinema Office in presenting Singing Lovebirds (1939) directed by Masahiro Makino, as part of the Musicals! The Greatest Show on Screen season.

Director Makino was considered the Busby Berkeley of Japan and in this warm-hearted musical about the tangled love lives of the samurai, the influences of Hollywood are clear. Fusing jazz numbers with traditional Japanese joruri provides a very hummable mix of east and west. Fans of Kurosawa might be surprised to see Shimura, star of Seven Samurai, in a singing role.

Screening at the following dates and venues across the UK:

Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge Saturday, 19 October 2019 at 20:00
BFI Southbank, London Sunday, 20 October 2019 at 15:50
Cultureplex, Manchester Saturday, 2 November 2019, at 20:00
BFI Southbank, London Friday, 8 November 2019 at 18:40
QUAD, Derby Saturday, 9 November 2019 at 15:00
Depot, Lewes Wednesday, 20 November 2019 at 21:00
GFT, Glasgow Tuesday, 26 November 2019 at 18:30
Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast Sunday, 8 December 2019 at 15:30
Showroom Workstation, Sheffield Sunday, 8 December 2019 at 15:15
Eden Court, Inverness Monday, 16 December 2019 at 20:00
Tyneside, Newcastle Tuesday, 7 January 2020 at 18:30
..with more dates and venues to follow!

Date: 19 October 2019 - 7 January 2020