Nomura Manzô VII, Seele und Schauspielkunst des Kyôgen

In the organizer's words:

Director: MURAYAMA Masami
1999, 50 minutes, German version, 16 mm

Kyôgen is one of Japan's representative classical theater forms. It developed in the middle of the 14th century together with the Nô theater, but in contrast to it does not deal with serious or idealizing themes, but is characterized by a cheerful, mostly satirical basic character. The extremely popular plays are independent and are performed between two Nô plays.
The film introduces Nomura Manzô VII, a famous kyôgen actor of the Izumi school, who was classified as a Living National Treasure(Ningen kokuhô) by the Japanese state. It shows the actor in action on stage and also provides an insight into the training of the next generation. Among others, his grandson Nomura Taichirô, who was eight years old in the year of filming, can be seen on stage at the Japanese Cultural Institute on February 11 and 12, 2025.

Film series
Nô and Kyôgen in film - two classical Japanese theater forms

In February, performers from the Izumi school of Kyôgen and the Kanze school of Nô theater will be making guest appearances in Europe and will also be performing at the Japanese Cultural Institute on 11.02.25 and 12.02.25. The artists will present masterpieces from the Heike monogatari (The Tale of the Heike) and give an introduction to the two traditional theater forms (information about the performance on 11.02. and the performance on 12.02.).

In the run-up to the guest performance, we will be showing two films that provide a general insight into the characteristics of Nô and Kyôgen and at the same time introduce outstanding performers who carry on the traditions of their families. The Japanese production from 1999 was planned by the Pola Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Japanese Culture and focuses on Nomura Manzô VII, who was born in 1930 and passed on the tradition of Kyôgen to subsequent generations. Among his students was his grandson Nomura Taichirô, who was eight years old at the time of filming and is now a guest in Cologne.

The documentary film by director Thomas Schmelzer focuses on the Nô theater. Fascinated by the contrast between the hustle and bustle of the megacity of Tokyo and the tranquillity of the Nô Theater, he accompanies famous personalities with his camera. First and foremost, he shows Umewaka Manzaburô III, born in 1941, who was seen in 2019 at the Nô performance Between Dream and Reality on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Japanese Cultural Institute in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall.

Price information:

Admission free