Vertigo (眩暈)

Haruo Inoue (Dir), 117 minutes, Japan/USA, New York State Premiere

A love letter and requiem for Jonas Mekas, composed and traveled by pioneer of modern Japanese poetry, Gōzō Yoshimasu. The film follows Yoshimasu as he seeks memories of his friend, the world-renouned 'Godfather of Avant-garde Cinema' Jonas Mekas (1922-2019) through Manhattan and Brooklyn one year after his passing. It paints a portrait of the poet's process as he works to craft a poetic requiem for his friend during his stay in America. Someone once asked Jonas “Why are your poems and films so shaky?” And he replied: “My life is shaky."

In Japanese and English, with English subtitles.

Watch the filmmaker Q+A w/ Director Haruo Inoue (+ Sayuri Okamoto) here!