Toshio Matsumoto (松本 俊夫, Matsumoto Toshio) (25 March 1932 – 12 April 2017) was a Japanese film director and video artist.

Toshio Matsumoto
Matsumoto in 1967
Born(1932-03-25)25 March 1932
Died12 April 2017(2017-04-12) (aged 85)
NationalityJapanese
Occupation(s)Director, video artist, screenwriter
Known forJapanese New Wave

Biography

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Matsumoto was born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan and graduated from Tokyo University in 1955. His first short was Ginrin, which he made in 1955. His most famous film is Funeral Parade of Roses (Bara no soretsu). The film was loosely inspired by Oedipus Rex, featuring a transgender woman (portrayed by Peter) trying to move up in the world of Tokyo Hostess clubs.

Matsumoto published many books of photography and was a professor and dean of Arts at the Kyoto University of Art and Design. There, he taught experimental filmmaker Takashi Ito.[1] He was also president of the Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences. In the early 1980s he taught at the Kyushu Institute of Art and Design (Kyushu Geijutsu Koka Daigaku).

He lived in Tokyo until his death on 12 April 2017.[2][3]

Filmography

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Feature films

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Year English title Japanese title Romaji Notes
1969 Funeral Parade of Roses 薔薇の葬列 Bara no Souretsu
1971 Demons (A.K.A. Pandemonium) 修羅 Shura The title Shura refers to Asuras.
1973 War at the Age of Sixteen 十六歳の戦争 Juuroku-sai no Sensou
1988 Dogura Magura ドグラ・マグラ Dogura Magura based on the novel of the same name by Yumeno Kyūsaku[4]

Experimental and documentary short films

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Year English title Japanese title Romaji Duration
1955 Bicycle 銀輪 Ginrin 10 min
1956 Senkan 潜凾 Senkan 20 min
1959 Haru wo Yobukora 春を呼ぶ子ら Haru wo Yobukora 20 min
1959 300 Ton Trailer 300トン・トレーラー 300 Ton Trailer 25 min
1959 US-Japan Security Treaty 安保条約 Anpo jōyaku 18 min
1960 Long White Line of Record 白い長い線の記録 Shiroi Nagai Sen no Kiroku 13 min
1961 The Weavers of Nishijin 西陣 Nishijin 26 min
1963 The Song of Stone 石の詩 Ishi no Uta 25 min
1967 Mothers 母たち Haha-tachi 40 min
1968 For the Damaged Right Eye (A.K.A. For My Crushed Right Eye) つぶ���かかった右眼のために Tsuburekakatta migime no tame ni 13 min
1969 Extasis エクスタシス Extasis[5] 10 min
1971 Metastasis メタスタシス 新陳代謝 Metastasis: Shinchintaisha 8 min
1972 Autonomy オートノミー 自律性 Autonomy: Jiritsusei 12 min
1972 Expansion エクスパンション 拡張 Expansion: Kakuchou 14 min
1973 Mona Lisa モナ・リザ Mona Lisa 3 min
1974 Fly フライ 飛ぶ Fly: Tobu 9 min
1974 Andy Warhol: Re-reproduction アンディ・ウォーホル:複々製 Andi Uohoru: Fukubukusei 23 min
1975 Everything Visible Is Empty 色即是空 Shiki soku zekuu 8 min
1975 Young Girl 青女 Aoonna 30 min
1975 Phantom ファントム 幻妄 Phantom 10 min
1975 Ātman アートマン Atman 11 min
1976 Kite Tako 30 min
1977 Black Hole ブラックホール Black Hole 3 min
1978 Enigma エニグマ 謎 Enigma: Nazo 3 min
1979 White Hole ホワイトホール White Hole 7 min
1980 Ki or Breathing 気 Breathing Ki - Breathing 30 min
1981 Connection コネクション Connection 10 min
1982 Votive Picture 絵馬 Euma 30 min
1982 Relation リレーション 関係 Relation: Kankei 10 min
1982 Shift シフト 断層 Shift: Dansou 9 min
1983 Formation フォーメイション 形成 Formation: Keisei 9 min
1984 WAVE WAVE WAVE 7 min
1984 Delay Exposure ディレイ・エクスポージャー Delay Exposure 3 min
1985 EE Control EEコントロール EE Control 3 min
1985 Vibration バイブレーション Vibration 3 min
1985 Sway 揺らぎ スウェイ Yuragi: Sway 8 min
1987 Engram エングラム 記憶痕跡 Engram: Kioku konseki 15 min
1989 Trauma トラウマ Trauma 18 min
1990 Sign 気配 Kehai 20 min
1992 Disguise ディシミュレーション 偽装 Dishimyureshon: Gisou 20 min

Other works

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Year English title Japanese title Romaji Type
1962 Long Black Shadow of Record 黒い長い影の記録 Kuroi Nagai Kage no Kiroku Radio play.
1964 Uso mo Honto mo Urakara Mireba 嘘もほんとも裏から見れば Uso mo Honto mo Urakara Mireba Theatre play.
1968 Magnetic Scramble マグネチック・スクランブル Magnetic Scramble Video performance.
1968 Cine Mosaic "Inter-media" piece.
1969 Projection for an Icon イコンのためのプロジェクション Ikon no tame no projection "Inter-media" piece.
1969 Shadow シャドウ Shadow "Inter-media" piece.
1970 Space Projection Ako スペース・プロジェクション・アコ Space Projection Ako "Inter-media" piece.
1974 Mona Lisa for Multi-video マルチビデオのためのモナ・リザ Multivideo no tame no Mona Lisa Video installation for 10 screens.
1974 Morning Dew モーニング・デュー(あさつゆ) Asa tsuyu "Inter-media" piece.
1975 Total Theatre トータルシアター・葵の上 Total Theatre "Inter-media" piece.
1976 Yuuterasu, shikyuu ユーテラス、子宮 Yuuterasu, shikyuu Media piece.
1979 Aquarium 水族館 Suizokukan Video installation for 3 screens, a water tank and fish.
1980 Cosmic Relation コズミック・リレーション Cosmic Relation Images for mobile 3D screen.
1986 Multiconnection マルチ・コネクション Multiconnection Installation for 1 16 mm camera and 4 screens.
1986 Articulation アーティキュレーション 文節 Articulation: Bunsetsu Installation for 6 screens and 1 camera.
1989 Luminous Globe ルミナス・グローブ Luminous Globe Installation for a spherical screen and a torus rear screen.
1990 Legend of Urando ウランド伝説 Urando Densetsu Media theatre for 2 HDTV and a laser.
1992 Trap of Narratology ナラトロジーの罠 Narratology no wana Installation for 23 screens, rotating camera platform, a camera and a sand screen.

Bibliography

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  • Matsumoto, Toshio, Eizo no hakken (1963)
  • Matsumoto, Toshio (2012). "A Theory of Avant-Garde Documentary". Cinema Journal. 51 (4): 148–154. doi:10.1353/cj.2012.0099. Retrieved 19 December 2014.

References

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  1. ^ "TAKASHI ITO - INTRODUCTION". www.imageforum.co.jp. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  2. ^ William (12 April 2017). "Pioneering film director Toshio Matsumoto dies". Japan Trends. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  3. ^ Boscarol, Matteo (14 April 2017). "Addio Toshio Matsumoto, la libertà del cinema". il manifesto (in Italian). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  4. ^ Matsumoto, Toshio (1988-10-15), Dogura magura (Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi), Katsujindo Cinema, Toshykanky Kaihatsu AG, retrieved 2022-09-15
  5. ^ Matsumoto, Toshio (8 September 2016). "Ecstasis". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
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