Ko Murobushi

A documentary about legendary butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.

A film that comprises in itself a form of dance – rather than a film about dance; an encounter between film and dance – rather than a film about a dancer. A documentary exploring Kō Murobushi’s dance and inner worlds, with purely cinematic means.

"Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis" is a visually striking film portrait shot on location in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh choreographers and their companies. Although Butoh is often viewed as Japan's equivalent of modern dance, in actuality it has little to do with the rational principles of modernism. Butoh is a theater of improvisation which places the personal experiences of the dancer on center-stage. By reestablishing the ancient Japanese connection of dance, music, and masks, and by recalling the Buddhist death dances of rural Japan, Butoh incorporates much traditional theater. At the same time, it is a movement of resistance against the abandonment of traditional culture to a highly organized consumer-oriented society.

In this show designed and choreographed by Bartabas and Ko Murobushi, the two artists share the stage with four horses and with the imaginary bestiary of French poet Comte de Lautréamont.

Fausto and Elena, two deaf teenagers from different backgrounds, meet and fall in love. As they push back against prejudice and silence – both societal and familial – their bond becomes a source of strength. Together, they navigate a world that misunderstands them and find the will to dream beyond imposed limits.