Today

Only today I find out Nobuhiko Obayashi [大林宣彦] (1938-2020) left us forever in April, the news of his passing eclipsed by an infinite array of COVID related news and updates. Dead at 82, it feels way too soon. Greatly outlasting his diagnosed remaining time (from 3 months to 4 years) due to a complicated lung cancer, he has brought to us another wonderful film just this past year: Labyrinth of Cinema [海辺の映画館キネマの玉手箱]. The original name is "Venue by the Seashore: The Jeweled Box of Cinema", a parody of Urashima Tarō's legendary tale. I'm watching it tomorrow in his honor.