Ozu
I just finished up an Ozu Marathon: A Story Of Floating Weeds (1934), Late Spring (1949), Early Summer (1951), Tokyo Story (1953), Floating Weeds (1959 which was a remake of A Story Of Floating Weeds), and Good Morning (1959). Watching a film by Yasujiro Ozu is like being invited into a Japanese home, and siting and watching life unfold. The common thread to all of Ozu's films is the importance of family. Every film is about family, and even though he is always the optimist, Ozu is able to retell theses stories without an once of cliche or manipulation. There is absolutely no camera movement. No dolly, no pans, no tilts, and yet his composition of each shot keeps you eyes glued to the screen.