The late Hiroshi Teshigahara was not only the "iemoto" (head) of the Sogetsu school of ikebana and a noted traditional potter, he was also a film director of international fame, best known for his 1964 picture "Woman in the Dunes." The sumptuously designed DVD collection "Teshigara Hiroshi no Sekai" includes nearly all of his major film work, most of it with optional English subtitles. The films appear with their original trailers and archival materials such as stills taken during filming.

It opens with Teshigahara's little-known first feature film, "The Pitfall," an experimental 1962 work written by Kobo Abe with a score by Toru Takemitsu. With this picture, the director began a collaboration with the writer and the composer that lasted for most of his career.

In "Woman in the Dunes" (1964), an entomologist is caught in a sand trap, much like one of insects he is collecting, and finally comes to terms with his captivity. With Kyoko Kishida in the title role, an extraordinary score by Takemitsu and a script by Abe based on his earlier novel, this picture became one of the best known of all Japanese films. This edition includes not only the entire 124-minute film, but also (under "Director's Cut") all of the outtakes.

"The Face of Another" (1966) is based on the Abe novel about a scarred man who takes on a new face and another identity. It stars Tatsuya Nakadai as the man and Machiko Kyo as his wife, and features a score by Takemitsu. Included in this edition is a TV documentary about the star and the film.