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Early Japanese Animation (12A) (LC) + live and electronic accompaniment by the Guildhall School + Benshi narration

Silent Film & Live Music

,Barbican Cinema 1
A still from the Japanese short film Two Worlds, two humanoid insects speak through a house window

A selection of rarely screened early Japanese animation, showing some of the very first anime films, will be accompanied by electro-acoustic music on our biggest screen, with Benshi narration. 

Very few of the earliest animated films from Japan survive - after being screened alongside live action features, films were often sold on from cinemas to smaller mobile venues where they would be broken down and sold as single frames.

The films that have been preserved in archives offer a fascinating glimpse into the beginnings of a rich history of Japanese animation which continues to this day, soundtracked by the Guildhall School's Electronic and Produced Music Studio. 

Tagged with: Cinema Silent Film & Live Music

LC = Local classification


Executive Producer: Mike Roberts
Director and Music Supervisor: Barbara De Biasi
Sound Projection: Sam Dinley

Performers

Flute 1/Piccolo: Ruth Harrison
Flute 2/Alto Flute: Jack Welch
Oboe: Emily Penn
Clarinet: Andrew Farnden
Bassoon: Ana Docolin 
Percussion: Taichi Imanishi 

Benshi: Tomoko Komura
 

Programme

・The Pot (1925, Sanae Yamamoto, 17 min)

・Ubasuteyama (1925, Sanae Yamamoto, 18 min)

・Rhythm (1935, Shigeji Ogino, 2 min)

・Diseases Spread (1926, Sanae Yamamoto, 14 min)

・The Blossom Man (1928, Yasuji Murata, 5 min)

・Two Worlds (1929, Yasuji Murata, 17 min)

・Propagate (1935, Shigeji Ogino, 4 min)

・A Day after a Hundred Years (1933, Shigeji Ogino, 11 min)

Barbican Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.