DRUM TAO / Short Documentary

For more than thirty years, deep in the remote mountains of Oita, the taiko ensemble DRUM TAO has been pursuing rhythmic perfection.

Away from the outside world, they share a passion for the craft, spending their lives together in devotion to drumming. Their quest for perfect cohesion is forged through intense physical training and total mental dedication.

When the mountain fog lifts, the sound of their drums rolls through the valleys below.

Through an abstract, rhythm-based documentary,
I want to show this tradition untouched by the pace of modern life and share with the world a Japanese perspective on life and a testament to the power of emotion through rhythm.

Shot on 16mm film