TOKYO MELODY: A FILM ABOUT RYUICHI SAKAMOTO
dir. Elizabeth Lennard, 1985
62 mins, France and Japan
In Japanese, English and French with English subtitles

In TOKYO MELODY: A FILM ABOUT RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, the eponymous composer is seen at the height of his popularity, performing alongside Yellow Magic Orchestra across Japan, and investing his remaining time toward developing his solo compositions. Filmmaker Elizabeth Lennard captures Sakamoto at his most stylish and sedulous; Sakamoto is seen discussing his aesthetic interests, understanding of time, and the influence new technologies will have on the future music production.

During one of the film's most touching sequences, the composer is filmed performing a piano duet with his wife Akiko Yano, aka “Japan’s Kate Bush.” In the afterglow of an early popular music career and moving toward establishing himself as a globally renowned composer, Sakamoto glints with genius throughout Lennard’s taut documentary. As a time-capsule of 1980s Japan, and Sakamoto’s role in its music scene, TOKYO MELODY offers a brilliant mix of insightful reveries, arresting sights, and fabulously rendered scenes from everyday life.