North American Premiere
Kengo Kuma, one of Japan’s greatest contemporary architects, is globally recognized for his innovative designs that harmonize nature and material. His work is a dance between structure, environment, and people, incorporating the unique properties of a building’s place and purpose into his approach. Director Hiromoto Oka is a former student of Kuma, and particle dance documents Kuma’s projects and processes across 15 years and 17 countries.
Flowing between poetic, jazz-like montages of Kuma’s buildings and a closer, contemplative look at Kuma’s approach, the film shifts and shimmers from a city symphony to a Frederick Wiseman-esque exploration of urban geography and space. Whether focusing on reconstruction efforts following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, Kuma’s contribution to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, or his work with students using sustainable building resources, particle dance captures the humility and beauty of Kuma’s balancing act between tradition and experimentation, showcasing an architecture that seeks to reconnect humans with their natural environment.
Kengo Kuma
Japan
2025
In Chinese, English, French, German and Japanese with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Hiromoto Oka
Cinematography
Hiromoto Oka
Cinematography
Hiromoto Oka
Editor
Hiromoto Oka
Original Music
Kazuma Fujimoto
Hiromoto Oka 岡博大
Hiromoto Oka, born in Japan in 1971, began his career as a newspaper journalist before transitioning to filmmaking in 2010. He is the founder of the NPO Shonan Yueiza, an organization dedicated to supporting grassroots film culture. In the same year, he began independently producing a documentary about renowned Japanese architect (and former university mentor) Kengo Kuma. The project took 15 years to complete.
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