Japan, 2024, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa | 124 min

This stylish, subversive thriller from suspense maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse) follows Yoshii, an ambitious young factory worker from Tokyo who side hustles in the murky world of online reselling, misleading buyers and sellers alike.

After swindling his way into stacks of cash, Yoshii tries to escape the crowded city by moving to the suburbs with his girlfriend, entrusting his business duties to a new assistant. Soon, however, mysterious incidents begin to threaten his security as the reality of his crimes creeps closer than he ever imagined.

At once a pulse-pounding provocation and a cautionary tale for our atomized, hustle-economy era, Cloud is a scary, genre-bending vision of real-world consequences, crafted with precision and dark, edgy humor. In Japanese with English subtitles.

"A hyper-lucid, fantastically kinetic, brilliant action movie." – David Erlich, IndieWire

USA/2024—directed by Sandi DuBowski | 105 min.

The result of 21 years of filming, Sabbath Queen illuminates the lifelong journey of Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis, as he struggles with embracing his destiny, becoming a drag-queen rebel, a queer bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul—an everybody-friendly, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation.

This spirited documentary joins Amichai on his quest to creatively re-examine the concepts of religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy, champion interfaith love, and stand up for tolerance in an age of turmoil. In English, Hebrew and Yiddish with English subtitles.

This special screening will be followed by a live, in-person Q & A with director Sandi DuBowski.

“A fascinating look at the act of questioning yourself and your family, your surroundings and your decisions.” –Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times

USA, 1977, directed by George Lucas; Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) dub: Canada, 2024, directed by Ellyn Stern Epcar | 121 min.

Experience one of the most iconic films of all time, now presented in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe), an original language of the Great Lakes region. Anangong Miigaading is part of an effort to preserve the language for future generations.

This Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) dub will be shown with English subtitles and part of a film series hosted in conjunction with the exhibition Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation, on view from September 28, 2025, through April 5, 2026.

Back by popular demand and landing right in the middle of Thanksgiving weekend, CatVideoFest is the ideal way to shake off the tryptophan and share a few laughs with family, friends, and fellow feline fans. Featuring the year's most delightful, bizarre, and belly-laugh-inducing cat videos, this annual favorite brings together cat lovers for a one-of-a-kind communal experience on the DFT's big screen.

Plus, a portion of proceeds from this screening will be donated to a local cat shelter—so while you’re enjoying the antics on screen, you’re also helping cats in need. Tickets go quickly, and advance purchase is recommended. In English and Feline. (80 min.)

For all ages.

One of the Silent Era’s most influential masterpieces, Nosferatu (F. W. Murnau, 1922) set the template for the horror films that followed. In the town of Wisborg, Germany, estate agent Knock sends his associate, Hutter, to Count Orlok’s castle in Transylvania, where the Count wishes to purchase an isolated house in Wisborg.

What begins as a simple real estate transaction quickly turns into something far more unsettling. Hutter journeys deep into the heart of Transylvania and the eerie castle of the otherworldly Count Orlok—portrayed by the legendary Max Schreck in a performance that has inspired its own mythology. But is the Count merely an eccentric nobleman, or something much more sinister?

This screening is accompanied by a live score from The Detroit Bureau of Sound, led by “cactus virtuoso and sonic evangelist” Zac Bru.

China/2024 — directed by Jia Zhangke | 111 min.

The preeminent dramatist of China’s rapid 21st-century growth and transformation, director Jia Zhangke takes his boldest approach yet with the marvelous Caught by the Tides. 

Using footage shot over 23 years,Caught by the Tides is told from the perspective of Qiaoqiao (Zhao Tao) as she wanders an increasingly unrecognizable country in search of her long-lost lover, who left their home city to seek financial prospects. 

At once delicate and narratively breathtaking, Jia’s lyrical new masterwork reminds us of cinema’s unique ability to capture the passage of time and the persistence of change.

Palme d’Or Nominee, Cannes Film Festival. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

"Brilliant. A generous-hearted testament from one of our greatest living filmmakers." — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Japan/1965 — directed by Akira Kurosawa | 185 min.

A magnificent testament to the resilience of human decency, Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (Akahige) chronicles the tumultuous relationship between an arrogant young doctor and the compassionate director of a clinic for the poor in 19th-century Japan. 

Toshiro Mifune, in his final role for Kurosawa, delivers a commanding and eloquent performance as the dignified yet empathetic older physician who guides his pupil toward maturity, teaching the embittered intern to appreciate the lives of his destitute patients. 

Kurosawa’s epic tapestry of time, place, and emotion has finally received its long-deserved big-screen restoration. 

"A great film. Like Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Ikiru, it fearlessly regards the meanings of life and death." —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Japan/1962 — directed by Akira Kurosawa | 95 min.

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa's tightly paced and elegantly designed Sanjuro. A sly companion piece to Yojimbo, the film in which Mifune’s jaded samurai character first appeared, Sanjurofollows the wily swordsman as he helps a group of idealistic young warriors weed out the corrupt influences within their clan. 

In doing so, he turns their hopelessly conservative notion of a "proper" samurai on its ear. This classic character's return delivers a delightful, action-packed adventure that stands confidently on its own. New widescreen restoration!

"Kurosawa’s funniest film, though the tone switches to a magnificent vehemence in the heart-stopping finale." —Time Out (UK)

Japan/1958 — directed by Akira Kurosawa | 139 min.

A grand-scale action adventure, The Hidden Fortress stars the inimitable Toshiro Mifune as a general tasked with guarding his defeated clan’s princess while smuggling royal treasure across hostile territory. 

Accompanying them are a pair of bumbling, conniving, and squabbling peasants who may—or may not—be their friends. If the plot sounds familiar, it’s because this rip-roaring ride (one of Kurosawa’s most beloved films) was a major influence on George Lucas’s Star Wars. 

The Hidden Fortress delivers Kurosawa’s trademark blend of wry humor, breathtaking action, and compassionate humanity, more intoxicating than ever in this new 4K widescreen restoration, presented as part of the DFT’s two-weekend festival, Kurosawa Restored. 

"Marvelous, exhilarating, confident and clever." —Donald Richie, The Films of Akira Kurosawa

Japan/1961 — directed by Akira Kurosawa | 110 min.

With the opening shots of Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo (Bodyguard), Toshiro Mifune cemented his place as one of the world’s most beloved movie stars. 

Wandering into a town consumed by chaos due to violence between two ruthless clans of would-be warriors, masterless samurai Sanjuro (Mifune) cleverly turns the war to his advantage, agreeing to sell his deadly skills to both sides—without the other knowing, of course. 

Later remade by Sergio Leone as A Fistful of Dollars, Kurosawa’s exhilarating and subversive action epic remains one of the most influential and entertaining films of all time. 

This new 4K restoration of Yojimbo is presented as part of the DFT’s Kurosawa Restored festival, continuing through August 31.

"A glorious comedy-satire of force, explosively comic and exhilarating." —Pauline Kael, I Lost It at the Movies