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"Widely lauded in his native Japan, director Shinji Somai (1948-2001) remains largely unrecognized in the West. A pioneering filmmaker during what is sometimes referred to as the “lost decade” of Japanese cinema, Somai came to prominence during the 1980s at a time when the nation’s film industry found itself in flux following the collapse of the Japanese studio system. In this transitional period, he served as a crucial bridge into the era of independent studio productions.
Somai directed some of the era's most original and enduring works, five of which comprise Kinema Junpo's critics list for the best Japanese films of all time. He forged a unique identity characterized by his demanding work ethic and innovative use of long takes, working predominantly within the seishun eiga (youth film) genre. Somai's oeuvre encompasses an eclectic mix of generic and stylistic convention from Kadokawa pop idol vehicles to Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno to independent art dramas, frequently using bodies of water—including torrential downpours and typhoons—to parallel the turbulence of youth and externalize the impact of growing up in an increasingly chaotic world. Documenting the tempestuous rigors of youth, Somai’s output would remain a persistent influence on filmmakers to come—from Shunji Iwai and Shinji Aoyama to Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Now, after more than 20 years since Somai’s untimely death at the age of 53, the first North American retrospective on Somai, Rites of Passage: The Films of Shinji Somai showcases his remarkable work for American audiences today."—Japan Society