Eiko Ishibashi

Musician Eiko Ishibashi and filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi have teamed up again following their successful collaboration on the critically acclaimed film Drive My Car. Their latest project, titled GIFT, features a silent film directed by Hamaguchi, accompanied by a live soundtrack performed by Ishibashi.

This collaboration originated when Ishibashi asked Hamaguchi to create visuals to accompany her live performance. Hamaguchi decided to create a film with dialogue as a starting point, then turn it into a silent film for Ishibashi’s live performance. Consequently, the project yielded two distinct works: a live score film performance, GIFT, and a feature film Evil Does Not Exist.

GIFT offers a constantly-evolving cinematic experience, with Ishibashi’s improvised live performance intervening in Hamaguchi’s visuals, seeking to reimagine the relationships between sound, image, and narrative.

Eiko Ishibashi is a Japanese multi-instrumentalist whose work has ranged from acclaimed singer-songwriter albums to scores for film, television, theater and exhibitions to improvised music. She has collaborated with international artists such as Jim O’Rourke, Keiji Haino, Charlemagne Palestine, Merzbow, Giovanni Di Domenico, Oren Ambarchi, and many others. Her own records have been released by Drag City, Black Truffle, and Editions Mego, amongst others. Amongst her film scores is Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winning 2021 film Drive My Car for which she won the “Discovery of the Year” award at The World Soundtrack Awards and the “Best Original Music” award at the Asian Film Awards.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi, an alumnus of the Graduate School of Film and New Media at the Tokyo University of the Arts, started to garner international recognition with his 2008 graduate film PASSION at film festivals both in Japan and abroad. His feature film Happy Hour (2015), which runs for 317 minutes, was honored with multiple awards at international film festivals. His film Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021) won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Drive My Car (2021) also received widespread recognition, including the awards for Best Screenplay at the 74th Cannes Film Festival and Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. In 2023, his latest film Evil Does Not Exist received numerous awards including the Silver Lion Award (Grand Jury Prize) at the Venice Film Festival and Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival.

GIFT Synopsis
Located on a plateau rich in nature, Mizubiki Village in Nagano is not so far from Tokyo, and the number of immigrants is on the rise, with very gradual development. Takumi and his daughter Hana, who have lived there for generations, lead a modest life, following the cycle of nature. One day, a plan is hatched to build a glamping site near Takumi’s house: an entertainment agency, which has fallen into financial difficulties due to the COVID disaster, has obtained a government subsidy and plans to set up a glamping site. However, the discovery that they intend to discharge sewage into the village water source causes unrest in the village, and the aftermath affects Takumi’s life as well.