JFF: Ryuichi Sakamoto Double Bill12A238 min
Synopsis
Ryuichi Sakamoto was one of Japan’s foremost composers and musicians for nearly five decades. From his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra to iconic scores for films such as Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence , his work has influenced artists across the globe. Following his death in 2023, JFF pays tribute to Sakamoto with this special double bill.
During his last few years, Sakamoto was unable to perform live concerts, and so he allowed his son, Neo Sora, to film one final performance. Recorded over a week in late 2022 at NHK Studio in Tokyo, Opus is an intimate concert film featuring only Sakamoto and his beloved piano.
Hirokazu Koreeda’s drama Monster is a remarkably compassionate exploration of childhood turmoil that features Sakamoto’s final film scoring work. When Saori Mugino (Sakura Ando) notices her son Minato has begun acting strangely, she’s told Minato is getting bullied at school by his homeroom teacher Michitoshi. She reports it to the school principal, but the school does little to address the situation. However, there’s a more complicated story here than Saori is privy to, with the full truth gradually revealed as the film revisits the same events from two more perspectives