While far from a household name in the West, Hokusai was legendary to the Japanese for his amazingly well-crafted wood cuts. His most famous involves a highly stylized wave, though in his lifetime he made an absolutely huge number of prints. I first became aware of his skills when I visited the Sackler and Freer Galleries of Art in Washington, DC, as they were having a Hokusai exhibition.
This short British film is a wonderful overview of the artist's life and work--and also his philosophy about art. It deservedly won the BAFTA award (roughly the equivalent to an Oscar) in 1979 int the Best Short Factual Film category.