Ryûsuke Hamaguchi presents: Opening Night + All of a Sudden

Acropolis welcomes Ryûsuke Hamaguchi for a double bill of the Japanese director's latest feature, All of a Sudden, and one of its key inspirations, John Cassavetes's 1977 classic Opening Night. Tonight's event will also include an interactive conversation with Hamaguchi featuring clips from his movies in which the director will discuss his unique approach to working with actors. Co-presented by the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities. One ticket ($20 + fees) admits the holder to both films and the director talk. ~ About the program: Opening Night (Dir. John Cassavetes, 1977, 144 min) | 5:00pm While in the midst of rehearsals for her latest play, Broadway actor Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) witnesses the accidental death of an adoring young fan, after which she begins to confront the chaos of her own life. Headlined by a virtuoso performance by Rowlands, John Cassavetes’s Opening Night lays bare the drama of a performer who, at great personal cost, makes a part her own, and it functions as a metaphor for the director’s singular, wrenched-from-the-heart creative method. ~ Conversation with Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | 7:30pm In this interactive talk, the Japanese director will discuss his unique approach to working with actors and present clips from his films illustrating how he incorporates multiple disciplines into his sweeping dramas. ~ All of a Sudden (Dir. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2026, 197 min) | 8:00pm Director of a care facility for the elderly, Marie-Lou (Virginie Efiira) strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respecting residents’ dignity, despite resistance from part of her staff. Her encounter with Mari (Tao Okamoto), a Japanese theater director battling cancer, will profoundly reshape her path. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women join forces in a shared struggle to make the impossible possible. ~ TRT: 341 min In person: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi