VENICE - Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro Hakuen appeared at the Venice International Film Festival in full costume Thursday, striking a dramatic Kabuki pose on the red carpet prior to the screening of a documentary in which he stars out of competition.
Danjuro wore an outfit from the Kabuki play "Otokodate Hana No Yoshiwara" as he walked with director Takashi Miike and his son, Ichikawa Shinnosuke, who also appears in the film "Shumei -- The Living Legacy of Kabuki."
Wearing white makeup and a white kimono with ink-painted dragon, pairing it with an "ichimatsu" checkered obi, Danjuro said he chose the costume to convey "iki," a subtle kind of cool and the understated depth of Japanese culture.
The film documents backstage preparations for Danjuro and Shinnosuke's name-succession performances, and it will start screening in Japan on Sept. 25.
