Sakuran, Cinema 1, Barbican on 14 November 2010

A series of Japanese films that represent women producers of the 21st century is showing in Cinema 1 at the Barbican, London.

Today?s film was Memories of Matsuko with Miki Nakatani playing the starry-eyed heroine. This was a whimsical exposition by Tetsuya Nakashima, the director of Kamikaze Girls.

While clearing a relative?s apartment following her death, a teenager unravels the heart-breaking story of his Aunt Matsuko?s life; a tale of recurring mistreatment at the hands of several unsuitable boyfriends.

Billed as the Japanese Amélie, Memories of Matsuko is a beguiling yet tragic fairytale blending human drama with offbeat comedy and some energetic production numbers.

Tomorrow (Sunday), the film is Sakuran. Here, photographer Mika Ninagawa provides luscious colour against a traditionally styled background.

A lavish period drama, it features lots of  costumed ?eye-candy? and is an adaptation from Moyoco Anno?s manga series.

Dolls, Cinema 1 Barbican, on 15 November 2010

Sakuran stars multi-talented model, actress and singer Anna Tsuchiya as a spirited, rebellious young girl Kiyoha on her journey to become an oiran courtesan of the house of Tamakiku.

On Monday 15 November, you can see Dolls, a set of three narratives about love and death by multi-talented filmmaker, Takeshi Kitano.

Highly stylised, with exquisite costumes from Yamamoto, the film moves through the four seasons as it weaves together three narratives of spurned love.

It opens with a scene from Banraku – Japanese puppet theatre – and goes on to meditate on the nature of the doll, of death, and the mistake of overlooking love.

Book here.