Multi-instrumentalist and composer Eiko Ishibashi, who scored director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winning film Drive My Car (VIFF 2021) presents the Canadian Premiere of GIFT—a new silent film directed by Hamaguchi, and accompanied by a dynamic, live soundtrack performed by Ishibashi. Developed in collaboration with Hamaguchi’s latest feature film, Evil Does Not Exist (VIFF 2023), GIFT has been hailed as its “concentrated, wordless flipside” (Lincoln Center). Using visual source material drawn from Evil Does Not Exist, Ishibashi’s live performance adds a dynamic layer to the cinematic experience of GIFT, by offering a vital recomposition of the relationship of sound to narrative, and composer to filmmaker.
Ishibashi’s newest body of work started when she asked Hamaguchi to make a video for a live performance. This live performance video became GIFT, which had its visual material provided from the film. Her score harmonizes effortlessly with the state of nature as depicted in Hamaguchi’s feature, a nuanced tale of humans’ uneasy efforts to maintain co-existence with the delicate state of the planet.
Eiko Ishibashi’s work has ranged from acclaimed singer-songwriter albums to scores for film, television, theatre, and exhibitions to improvised music. She has collaborated with international artists such as Jim O’Rourke, Keiji Haino, Merzbow, and many others. Among her film scores are Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winning 2021 film, Drive My Car and his 2023 feature Evil Does Not Exist.
Hamaguchi and composer Ishibashi Eiko reimagine the director’s cut with GIFT, a daring new version of Evil Does Not Exist that stands to reinvigorate cinema through its use of live music.
Indiewire, 2024
Her score for Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s opus helped it to Oscar glory. Now the Japanese musician has reunited with its director for a collaboration unlike any other.
The Guardian, 2024
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Eiko Ishibashi
Musician
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 Ryûsuke 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.
In 2023, she composed music for Hamaguchi’s latest film Evil Does Not Exist and also unveiled a new project named GIFT. The project features a silent film by Hamaguchi, which was specially created to accompany her live performance.
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Filmmaker
Ryûsuke 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.
*Ryûsuke Hamaguchi will not be in attendance at this event
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