Ryuichi Sakamoto: Diaries offers an intimate portrait of the composer in his last years, shaped from private journals, photographs, notes and home footage. The film reframes familiar public milestones through quiet, personal material to reflect on life, memory and music.
Unveiling Sakamoto’s Private World
Director Kensho Omori works with material entrusted by Sakamoto’s family to present moments that feel unguarded rather than staged. The film uses excerpts from the composer’s journals and visual archives to build a narrative that treats illness, dreams and mortality with restraint. Omori resists melodrama, allowing small images and short entries to carry emotional weight.
Tracing a Musical Journey
Alongside intimate fragments, Diaries connects Sakamoto’s final reflections to the long arc of his art. Viewers encounter references to formative obsessions, including his fascination with Claude Debussy, and the textures that informed his work across electronic, classical and film music. The film positions late recordings and unfinished notes as part of an ongoing creative voice rather than a closing chapter.
A Family’s Trust, A Legacy Preserved
Sakamoto’s family provided the personal materials that make the film possible. That collaboration shapes a portrait that balances public achievement with private ritual: home scores, annotated notebooks, snapshots of daily life and moments of solitude. The decision to share these items creates a layered record of influence, vulnerability and care.
Originally presented alongside an NHK Special that highlighted some of the same archives, Diaries is now reaching wider audiences through festival and cinema screenings. Check local listings for showings.
Conclusion: A Lasting Reflection
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Diaries does more than chronicle a great composer’s end. It invites viewers into a reflective space where music, memory and family converge to shape a legacy that will continue to resonate for listeners and filmmakers alike.
