The Biennale has unveiled the line-up of its SecretHistory of Asian Cinema sidebar, which was curated by Venice Film Festivaldirector Marco Mueller.

The sidebar,which is dedicated to 'forgotten' restored classic Chinese films andJapanese genre pictures, includes ten restored Chinese films spanning from the1930s to the counter-revolution in 1949, as well as films from the ChineseNouvelle Vague, pictures by classic directors such as Fei Mu, Shen Xiling,Zheng Junli and Shi Hui, and China's first animation feature, Tieshangongzhu, a 1941 film from brothers Wan Laiming and Wan Guchanj.

The Japaneseretrospective will screen 37 films, including 1920s and 30s pictures by ItoDaisuke and Yamanaka Sadao. The sidebar will also feature titles from the 1950sto 70s, from Kato Tai, Misumi Kenji, Suzuki Seijun, Fukasaku Kinji and TanakaTokuzo. Also screening are films from horror maestro Nakagawa Nobuo, and Bmovies by Mizoguchi Kenji and Naruse Mikio.

The Asian Cinemasidebar's 'godfathers' include John Woo, Zie Jin, Tsukamoto Shinyaand Miike Takashi.

Theretrospective is sponsored by the Biennale, the Fondazione Prada, the Italiancultural ministry and the National Film Archives, with the support of the JapanFoundation and Tokyo's National Film Center.