ryue nishizawa takes a 'tokyo ride' in bêka & lemoine's documentary

following the success of ‘moriyama san’, a movie billed as ‘the first film about noise music, acrobatic reading, silent movies, fireworks, and japanese architecture‘, bêka & lemoine’s latest project takes us on board ryue nishizawa’s vintage alfa romeo for a drive around the streets of tokyo. revisiting the genre of the road movie in a diaristic and personal way, ‘tokyo ride’ immerses the viewer in the bustling daily life of the japanese capital.

shot by bêka & lemoine in black and white, ‘tokyo ride’ is a 90 minute film that focuses on ryue nishizawa — one of today’s most celebrated japanese architects. nishizawa narrates throughout, explaining his relationship with his home town through sites of particular significance to him. these include buildings that have influenced him, as well as some of his own projects.

the trailer, which can be watched at the top of this page, shows ryue nishizawa meeting up with kazuyo sejima — his longtime collaborator at SANAA. the film questions how rooted architecture practice is, and how much the built and cultural environment feeds and shapes our imagination. the film was first revealed at DocAviv 2020, a leading documentary-only film festival, where it was awarded with the ‘artistic vision award’.

‘the directors do not pretend to encompass the entire oeuvre of ryue nishizawa, but something in the intimacy of the car ride (the car being the undeniable film’s supporting actor), creates exceptional conditions to getting to know his personality and his world,’ said the jury’s justification. ‘the decision of the filmmakers to stick to what seems to be a small-scale production is not taken for granted when it comes to a world-renowned architect. this decision is revealed to be accurate as the movie unfolds.’

‘tokyo ride’ will soon première in many major architecture film festivals both in europe and in north america. upcoming screenings will take place at CAFx in copenhagen, AFFR in rotterdam, MDFF in milan, and ADFF in new york.

project info:

name: tokyo ride
directors: ila bêka & louise lemoine
director of photography: ila bêka
editing: ila bêka & louise lemoine
colorist: melo prino
sound mix: walter amati, fuji studio
production: bêka & partners, france
japan, 2020, HD, B&W, 90 min