RYUICHI SAKAMOTO | OPUS Documentary

In the years preceding his March 2023 passing, legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto had not been able to hold live performances. This filmed solo concert, Sakamoto’s final performance, directed by his son Neo Sora (THE CHICKEN, AFI FEST 2020) – an extraordinary artist in his own right – leaves behind an intimate, heartrending and personal rendition of 20 of Sakamoto’s hand-chosen and ordered scores. The performance includes some of his most well-known pieces, such as his pop Yellow Magic Orchestra period, his Bertolucci film scores and music from his meditative final album, 12 – that, stitched together, represent a wide-ranging, nearly-50-year-spanning career. More than a recorded concert, RYUICHI SAKAMOTO | OPUS is a sonically dazzling production. With only Sakamoto and his piano, keys are struck with alternating delicacy and intensity, playful compositions ease into mournful ones, and, with tremendous grace, the late maestro reveals a vulnerability that is sure to surprise. –Malin Kan