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.
Oct 8: Extended intro by director Hiromoto Oka
Oct 9: Q&A
Presented by
Supported by
Media Partner
Kengo Kuma
Japan
2025
In Chinese, English, French, German and Japanese with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Hiromoto Oka, Momoko Oka, Suguru Watanabe
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.
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
Possible Love
Lee Chang-dong’s first film since Burning (2018) is a sardonic, slow-burning satire about two couples: a documentary filmmaker married to a wealthy businessman, and a working-class family struggling to make ends meet after the husband has been laid off.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem splices together footage shot by William Greaves in 1972 of a group of Harlem Renaissance luminaries in conversation at Duke Ellington’s townhouse. The film is a living archive of memory, disagreement, style, and Black genius.
The Secret in Their Eyes
This month's Talking Pictures screening is a multi-layered, poignant thriller interweaving the personal lives of a prosecution investigator (Ricardo Darin) and a judge, with a manhunt spanning twenty-five years. Stay for cookies, coffee and a chat after!
The Haunting
Directed by Robert Wise in 1963, The Haunting is a classic exercise in the suggestive power of cinema, adapted from Shirley Jackson's 1959 best-seller, The Haunting of Hill House, a provocative blend of supernatural and psychological horror.
