YOYOGI
Estonia, Japan I 72 min
Director: Max Golomidov
Producer: Volia Chajkouskaya
Editor: Dmitrii Kalashnikov
Production company: Allfilm
A witty and sensitive observation of people visiting Central Park of Tokyo – YOYOGI.
The film is set in the YOYOGI park in Japan, which was once an airplane ground from where the first Japanese pilot took off. The gaze in this film is more significant and more important than the object of observation. More precisely, optics, both literally and figuratively, change the object, turning it inside out. It is impossible to describe this film as a film about one of the oldest parks in the heart of Tokyo, or a film about the park where the first flight took place, or simply a film about a park. We don't know anything about this park. It gives the opportunity to dwell on it in a meditative, focused, detached way. Yet, at the same time, in an observative, adoring way, it gives the opportunity to analyze how the human body and spirit can manifest in front of an attentive gaze.
MAX GOLOMIDOV / IMDB
MAX GOLOMIDOV is a cinematographer, colorist and director. Born in 1984 in Tallinn, Estonia, he graduated from Baltic Film and Media School as a cinematographer in 2008. He worked on documentaries such as ANTHILL and HIPPODROME by Vladimir Loginov. He did color for ON RUBIK'S ROAD by Laila Pakalnina and CLOSE RELATIONS by Vitali Manksi. Max moved to Tokyo, Japan in 2014, following a job offer as a colorist. YOYOGI is Max’s directorial debut, set in Tokyo’s park called Yoyogi.
Director’s statement
I grew up in Estonia and 6 years ago moved to Tokyo, as I was invited to work in one of Japanese color grading companies as a colorist. Still having a profound background as a cinematographer, I could not stop filming even after relocation.
The unique culture of Japan simply and inevitably inspired me to create my own film, together with my attempts to integrate into a new unknown culture, and find my own space and home in a new place.
The main task of a documentary, in my opinion, is the penetration into and fixation with some private lives, events or phenomena. Japan is a unique country in this sense. If in European culture all personal events or processes are usually hidden behind the doors of houses or apartments, in Japan, due to a certain cultural paradox, many private, intimate actions are taken out into the public space. Parks are the most common example of such a space. One of the most famous parks in Tokyo is Yoyogi, located in the heart of the city center.
VOLIA CHAJKOUSKAYA / IMDB
VOLIA CHAJKOUSKAYA is a Belarus-born filmmaker, producer and festival runner currently based in Estonia. Her company Volia Films produced a debut full-length documentary THE ROAD MOVIE (directed by Dmitrii Kalashnikov) in 2016. The Road Movie had its world premiere at IDFA First Appearance Competition. Volia is founder and program director of Northern Lights Film Festival. In 2019, she joined Allfilm production company as a producer and director.
Where are we at?
Production budget: 150.235,00 EUR
Needed for completion: 2.000,00 EUR
Territories: Worldwide
Estimated release: Autumn 2022
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Production company profile
ALLFILM is an Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated production house operating since 1995. The company’s scope of activity varies from developing and producing quality features, documentaries, TV series to commercials. We also come on-board as a co-production partner and provide production services under the cash-rebate scheme. Over the years, Allfilm has produced more than 80 films, including 23 international co-productions.