Cinema only has a way: an oriental-like contemplative observation of visitors to central park in Tokyo
Yoyogi, a large park located in the center of Tokyo, is not only the setting but also the full-fledged protagonist of the debut feature film by Estonian cinematographer Max Golomidov. However, the director is not going to tell anything about the history or the current state of the park; apart from the name shown in the opening title, viewers will not learn any facts about this place. This observational film doesn’t even have dialogues or a soundtrack; Golomidov captures urban everyday life in the park only with the help of a static camera and soft editing. Children play on the monument; a couple sits on a bench and hugs under an umbrella; an elderly man shoots an arrow; rappers battle each other; a girl makes a video for TikTok; a homeless man just walks by. The meditative documentary, without any formalist tricks, creates two opposing genre concepts on the screen: it is a dry, almost scientific approach to the story of the everyday urban life of the Japanese, from which something magical and seemingly otherworldly is born.