Writers: David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky
Director: David Bickerstaff
Art is eternal. And so, it seems, is Tokyo. David Bickerstaff’s exquisite new documentary Tokyo Stories takes us through the many faces and facets of classic and contemporary art in the Japanese capital, from photography to Pop Art to performance art and everything in between.
Based on an exhibition in Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, specifically created to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with the aim to take a contemporary look at classic Japanese art, Tokyo Stories is a love letter to one of the ‘most exciting 21st century cities’. Taking on four hundred years of Japanese history and culture, the film shows us some of the city’s most iconic art, contextualised through the lens of those who created it.
Take, for instance, Utagawa Hiroshige’s woodblock prints and paintings of Kabuki actors and courtesans, depicting life during Japan’s Edo period. Or Tanaami Keiichi’s colourful, manga-influenced pop art, inspired by his childhood memories of the Second World War. Or, of course, Daido Moriyama’s stark, intimate black and white photographs of a modern Tokyo in all its glory. Museum curators, artists, photographers and performers share their thoughts on Tokyo’s art and tales, as well as their own experiences with it, all of which seem to be perfectly captured within the walls of the Ashmolean.
With its enthralling, though slightly over-used soundtrack, impeccable detail and carefully chosen shots of, logically, cherry blossoms, the enchanting calmness of Bickerstaff’s documentary is the perfect contrast to the frenzy of its subject matter.
Tokyo Stories shows us how Tokyo’s constantly evolving, re-inventing nature serves as an endless source of inspiration to its people and how we have come to understand it through their eyes. A city where neon lights envelop its citizens in a haze of pop culture, food, technology and colours, this is a capital that has seen it all. A metropolis that is everything to everyone all at once, stripped bare as we hear some of the most fascinating, heart-breaking, moving and powerful stories behind its greatest pieces of art. Showcasing an eclectic collection of artists and storytellers, Tokyo Stories has something for everyone.
Tokyo Stories is released in UK cinemas on 23 May.
This wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea, but it sounds interesting! I will definitely check this one out!