TOP x Yamagata Documentary Film Library Launch: Regular Screenings at Tokyo Photographic Art Museum

The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (TOPMUSEUM) will launch "TOP x Yamagata Documentary Film Library" in July, a regular program dedicated to screening documentary works. The films are sourced from the Yamagata Documentary Film Library, which preserves masterpieces from the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival (YIDFF)—one of Asia's largest biennial documentary festivals. Focusing on rare past works that are seldom seen elsewhere, the museum will utilize its 1F Hall projection equipment to host regular screenings primarily in 16mm and 35mm film formats.

While the schedule is irregular, different works will be showcased continuously. Future plans include tours of the projection room after screenings. The standard admission fee is 1,200 yen (may vary by work). Detailed information and schedules will be updated on the TOPMUSEUM official website.

The July-August lineup features the following two works:

'Mysterious Object at Noon' Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul (YIDFF 2001 International Competition runner-up, NETPAC Special Mention) Thailand / 2000 / Thai / Black & White / 35mm / 83 min / Japanese & English subtitles A film crew travels across Thailand, asking people they encounter to improvise and create a story in a relay format. This long-form debut by Apichatpong Weerasethakul brilliantly captures the blurred boundaries between reality and imagination.

'The Underground Orchestra' Director: Heddy Honigmann (YIDFF '99 International Competition Special Jury Prize) Netherlands / 1997 / French, Romanian, Spanish / Color / 35mm / 115 min / Japanese & English subtitles A documentary following Paris's street and subway musicians, many of whom are political exiles or undocumented immigrants. The film highlights their harsh living conditions alongside the profound beauty of their music.