The new film by the creator of “Lisbon Story” and “Heaven over Berlin” is a meditation on the simplicity and beauty of life. IN “Perfect Days” Wim Wenders tells the story of a Japanese everyman for whom every day is filled with activities that constitute the poetry of everyday life. This “film ode to small pleasures” (Financial Times) by the German director will compete for the Oscar in the Best International Film category. “Perfect Days” in cinemas from April 12.
Living in contemporary Tokyo, Hirayama (played by Kōji Yakusho, awarded for his role at the Cannes festival) is a man of few words and introverted, but filled with love for the world and others. Following the hero, we discover subsequent rituals in which he engages with complete devotion. Over time, even the mundane work of Hirayama, tidying up the city’s toilets (each one is an architectural masterpiece), turns out to be an extraordinary ceremonial.
The soundtrack of his life is the harmonious sounds of Tokyo streets and songs performed by The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Patti Smith and Nina Simone. Wenders’ film is a healing cinema that turns everyday life into magic.
The choice of the film “Perfect Days” as the Japanese candidate for the Oscar is something of a surprise. For the first time in history, the Land of the Rising Sun was represented by a film with a foreigner behind it.
Although the director and co-writer of the film Wim Wenders is German, “Perfect Days” is in many respects a Japanese film. The entire cast is Japanese, and the only language used in the film is Japanese, the co-author of the script is Takuma Takasaki, and the film was produced by, apart from Wenders’ company – Wenders Images, Japanese companies Master Mind Limited and Spoon Inc.
“Perfect Days” will compete for the Oscar with the Spanish “The Brotherhood of the Snow”, the Italian “I, Captain”, the German “Teacher’s Lounge” and the British “Business Zone”. The winner will be announced on March 10.
Japan has won five Oscars so far. For the last time in 2021 for “Drive my car”. Wenders, in turn, was nominated for an Oscar three times – for the documentaries “Salt of the Earth” (2014), “Pina” (2011) and “Buena Vista Social Club” (1999).