Releases and Reception
Producer Genjiro Arato was unable to procure exhibitors for Zigeunerweisen and exhibited the film himself with his company Cinema Placet in a specially-built, inflatable, mobile tent. The film was initially screened beside the Tokyo Dome on April 1, 1980. The film was an immediate success and was quickly picked up for a wide release. In its 22-week run it sold 56 000 seats, where 10 000 was generally considered a success for an independent film. Critics named Zigeunerweisen the "must-see" film of 1980, it garnered four Japanese Academy Awards and reignited Suzuki's career. Little More Co. re-released the full Taishō Roman Trilogy theatrically on April 28, 2001, in the Deep Seijun retrospective. In conjunction they released the trilogy on DVD (without English subtitles), marking its debut on home video.
The film was not distributed internationally but did appear in film festivals and retrospectives. For example, it was in competition at the 31st Berlin International Film Festival and appeared in the first British retrospective of Suzuki's films at the 1988 Edinburgh International Film Festival. In North American, Kino International released a DVD edition of the film on March 7, 2006. It features a 25 minute interview with Suzuki discussing the making of the Taishō Roman Trilogy, a biography and filmography of the same, the theatrical trailer and a gallery of promotional material and photographs. The DVD is also available in a box set encompassing the trilogy.
Read more about this topic: Zigeunerweisen (film)
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