Legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders discusses his film 'Perfect Days' about a Tokyo toilet cleaner finding joy in routine. They talk about Japan, travel, Nina Simone, and having free time. The podcast explores themes of routine, resilience in Tokyo post-pandemic, casting choices, minimalism, and the filmmaker's ambivalence and optimism towards America and filmmaking.
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Tokyo's Resilience
Wim Wenders was disappointed by the post-pandemic world's decline in community spirit.
He found Tokyo's resilience and care inspiring, leading him to create "Perfect Days."
question_answer ANECDOTE
Tokyo Toilet Project
Wenders was initially drawn to Tokyo to document an art project involving unique public toilets.
This project aimed to showcase Japanese hospitality for the Olympics but went largely unnoticed due to the pandemic.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Casting Koji Yakusho
Wenders cast Koji Yakusho because of his ability to convey emotion with his eyes, evident in "Shall We Dance?".
Wenders admired Yakusho's kind eyes, crucial for portraying the quiet protagonist.
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Legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders returns to the show to tell host Rico Gagliano about his Cannes-winning, Oscar-nominated PERFECT DAYS—the story of a Tokyo toilet cleaner who finds joy in routine. They also get into a few of Wenders’s favorite things: Japan, travel, Nina Simone, and having time on his hands.
PERFECT DAYS will stream exclusively on MUBI in the UK, India, Turkey, and Latin America starting April 12, and the film continues to show in cinemas in the UK & Ireland.
To stream more Wenders classics, check out our series "Wim Wenders: King of the Road." Availability of films varies depending on your country.
Last summer at the Cannes Film Festival, Rico interviewed Wenders about his 3D documentary ANSELM—watch it here.
And hear Rico wax rhapsodic about Wenders’s WINGS OF DESIRE—and the formative experience of bingeing on it in a derelict movie palace—in the opening minutes ofthis episode from our second season.
To stream more of the films we've covered on the podcast, check out the collection Featured on the MUBI Podcast. Availability of films varies depending on your country.
MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI makes, acquires, curates, and champions extraordinary films, connecting them to audiences all over the world. A place to discover ambitious new films and singular voices, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Each carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators.
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