Tokyo Melody (Youtube)

Dir. Elizabeth Lennard, (1985); Japan, 65m
Starring: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Akiko Yano, Yukihiro Takahashi
Programmed by: Owen Peterson

July 18th through July 24th

Click here to watch!

“Still I am concerned by a deficient technology, in other words, errors or noises… it absorbs me and I wonder if new cultural currents could emerge from this deficiency. This concern is behind all my work”.

In a singular, fluid motion, photographer-turned-director Elizabeth Lennard exposes the brilliance of electronic composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (himself) throughout the journey of making his 1985 album, “Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia”. Blending studio and street footage with direct addresses from Sakamoto, Tokyo Melody serves as a brief and mysterious window into Sakamoto’s creative ideology during his run of form throughout the 80’s. An album whose existence in the public eye hinges on a few poorly conditioned vinyl and a low-res rip on Youtube, “Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia” has found a new life as a result of Lennard’s documentarian efforts.