Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Neo Sora’s concert documentary “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” a standout at the Venice Film Festival, has sold for theatrical distribution in North America to Janus Films ahead of its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival. The theatrical release will be followed by a Blu-ray Disc release on the “Janus Contemporaries” label. This is the latest deal inked by London and Paris-based production, finance and sales outfit Film Constellation, following a slew of sales to Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Midas Filmes), Germany and Austria (Rapid Eye), Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), South Korea (Media Castle), China (JL Vision Films), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Cai Chang) and Singapore (Anticipate Pictures).
Spirit Of Ryuichi Sakamoto Returns To Venice With Concert Film ‘Opus’; Director Son Neo Sora Talks Composer’s Love Of Cinema & Complex Relationship With Piano
05.09.2023 - 12:43 / deadline.com
Late Oscar-winning Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto was celebrated at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday with the Out Of Competition premiere of concert film Opus.
The moving black-and-white work captures Sakamoto delivering his final performance in the months leading up to his death in March after a seven-year battle with cancer.
Alone with his piano on stage, he performs twenty of his compositions, spanning the music of his pop-star Yellow Magic Orchestra period to his first film score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence; his Oscar-winning music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and his final album, 12.
Sakamoto’s filmmaker and artist son Neo Sora, who directed the film, was in Venice to present the work.
“I think he would have really loved that the film plays in Venice. He came to Venice six years ago with for CODA (Ryuichi Sakamoto CODA) so it would have been a full circle for him as well,” he told the press conference for the film.
Sora said Sakamoto had a complex relationship with cinema throughout his life.
“Ever since he was a little child, he would always watch cinema. In fact, I believe one of the earliest memories he has of music is Fellini’s score of something. I don’t know exactly which one but he talks about that,” he said.
“So I think cinema has always been with him. And then of course, his kind of breakout was with Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and ever since he’s worked on various films including Bertolucci’s films… it was always with him, and he watched a lot of movies. He’s always inspired by movies. In fact, his second to last album, he called it a soundtrack to a non-existent Tarkovsky film.”
Sora revealed that the Sakamoto had had a complex relationship with the piano across his career,
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