GIFT: Eiko Ishibashi x Ryusuke Hamaguchi

An expansive, evolving live cinematic experience.

Multi-instrumentalist Eiko Ishibashi and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi reunite for GIFT–a compelling blend of silent film and live musical performance.

Set in the tranquil Mizubiki Village, GIFT follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, whose peaceful life amid nature faces upheaval when plans emerge for a luxury campsite in their community. As the story unfolds, Ishibashi weaves an intricate live score that reimagines Hamaguchi’s visual poetry into a constantly evolving cinematic experience.

Born from their collaboration on the critically acclaimed 2021 film Drive My Car, this dynamic project has captivated audiences at the Vancouver International Film Festival, New York’s Lincoln Center, and HAU Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin. Boldly redefining the relationship between sound, image and narrative, the result is a breathtaking meditation on the delicate balance between human development and the natural world.

‘Hamaguchi and composer Ishibashi Eiko reimagine the director’s cut with GIFT, a daring new version of Evil Does Not Exist that stands to reinvigorate cinema through its use of live music.’ – Indiewire

‘Her score for Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s opus helped it to Oscar glory. Now the Japanese musician has reunited with its director for a collaboration unlike any other.’ – The Guardian

Presented in partnership with QAGOMA, with support from Crumpler.

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