Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda is an excellent documentary following my favourite composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto. The film is a meditation on Sakamoto’s cancer diagnosis, recent career hiatus and production techniques. He discusses everything from the influence of Tarkovsky on his work to the Japanese political landscape after the 2011 tsunami crisis.
This film doesn’t take the form of a linear documentary, but instead approaches storytelling the way that Sakamoto composes his music – a fluid collage of memories and vignettes. The filmmakers combine beautifully restored archival footage, scenes from Sakamoto-scored films (The Revenant, The Last Emperor etc.) and handheld fly-on-the-wall cinematography seamlessly to present a beautiful, quiet documentary about one of Japan’s most influential creative figures.
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Melbourne International Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival