A documentary directed by Inudo Isshin (known for Josee, the Tiger and the Fish and La Maison de Himiko), The Unnameable Dance shows the life and dance of Min Tanaka—the spearheading Japanese dancer now in his 70s—in a multifaceted and dynamic manner. The film follows Tanaka on his journey to perform 90 dances, carried out between August 2017 to November 2019, across five countries and 48 locations. Accompanying the dancer, Inudo Isshin says of Tanaka’s dance, “a dance that cannot be defined by genre.”
Whether in alleys, beaches, theaters, bookstores, or galleries, anywhere can be Tanaka’s stage, and the energy of those spaces draws out dance from his body—a dance that will not and cannot be repeated. The film captures other aspects of Tanaka’s life as a farmer and an actor; the rare moments when a person′s art coincides with their life. Min Tanaka says: “I want to be this unnameable dance itself.”
Release: January 28, 2022
115 min., color, sound
Please click here to support this project.