A pioneering director of gay-themed films informed by his own experiences as an out gay man, Ryosuke Hashiguchi has resisted pigeonholing. His midcareer masterpieces ¡°Hush!¡± (2002) and ¡°All Around Us¡± (2008) portrayed both members of Japan¡¯s LGBTQ+ community and a wider slice of contemporary life, with a focus on oddballs, misfits and, in the latter film, criminals.

Newly restored 4K versions of the films are now in theaters, offering a chance to reassess Hashiguchi¡¯s vision as well as changes in Japanese society since early in the millennium.