Cert PG
September 12th 2024
Winner – Best Actor, Cannes Film Festival 2023
Winner – Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Cannes Film Festival 2023
Winner – Best Film, Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2023
Nominee – Oscar for Best International Feature Film, Academy Awards 2024
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Kōji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto
Country: Japan Germany
Language Japanese (English subtitles) 124 minutes
UK release date: February 2024
Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and books. And he loves trees and taking photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. A deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. (Look out for Wim Wenders’ cameo appearance as a cassette shop customer.)
“The song choices – in particular the Lou Reed track that gives the film its title and Nina Simone’s Feeling Good – are windows into his soul at any given moment.” Wendy Ide, The Guardian
“Zen and the art of toilet cleaning? You’d better believe it. This is as gentle as it gets – a humble little film, maybe, but an enriching one. It’s a soul-cleanse.’” Alex Godfrey, Empire Magazine
Film Club at the Roxy 