Structure (2023)

Dir. Ryumu Narita

Reviewed by Laura MacGregor

The film is called Structure, and its name is true to what unfolds, showing the structure and the structures of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, before big redevelopment plans for the downtown core begin.

To document it as it looks ahead of the changes, Chita films night scenes of the streets of Sapporo’s city center, Odori park, the TV tower, which first marks the time of 6:10pm and later 6:33pm, the crossing at the entertainment district of Susukino, symbolized by the neon Nikka Whiskey sign, shopping arcadeTanuki koji, and other streets, mostly void of people.

Visually, it is fantastic and mesmerizing. Think fireworks in reverse, as horizontal lines of

night lights shower down as the night views as the city in winter ascend. Multi-lane streets in traffic, deserted alleys, bus terminal, subway, ferris wheel, TV tower – all indelibly identify the city as Sapporo, and at the same time, show the grid structure of the downtown area.

The electronic music (Like Shadows, 2022) of Ooyy and Gemenii is also mesmerizing – a myriad of moods expressed of walls, ribbons and showers of sounds to a steady beat.

The film is a visually and aurally intriguing showcase. It will be interesting to see what else comes from Ryumu Chita as a film director. At the very least, perhaps another look at Sapporo post-development?

Structure

streamed in the U-25 project at SSFF & ASIA 2024 Online Grand Theater till May 24

＜Writer＞

Laura MacGregor is on faculty at Gakushuin University. Among the courses she teaches is one on film and the economy. She has been in Japan for a long time, and has been watching and studying about films and the film industry since the 1990s. SSFF & ASIA is one of her favourite film festivals in Japan so she is glad to participate this year as a volunteer translator and reviewer.