Kazuo Ohno

Butoh dancer. Christian. After experiencing WW2, Ohno devoted his life to dance. He introduced the unique dance style “Butoh” to the world. (Courtesy of NPO Dance Archive Network)

Dress Rehearsal (1980)

An exhilarating, essayistic documentary about the 1980 festival of experimental theatre in the French city of Nancy. Werner Schroeter's favourite of his own films.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Werner Schroeter
CAST:  Pina Bausch  •  Reinhold Hoffmann  •  Kazuo Ohno  •  Pat Oleszko

An exhilarating, essayistic documentary about the 1980 festival of experimental theatre in the French city of Nancy. Werner Schroeter's favourite of his own films.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Werner Schroeter
CAST:  Pina Bausch  •  Reinhold Hoffmann  •  Kazuo Ohno  •  Pat Oleszko

Just Visiting This Planet (1991)

Peter Sempel's masterful poetic film tribute to butoh performer Kazuo Ohno.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Peter Sempel
CAST:  Blixa Bargeld  •  Nina Hagen  •  Tanya Khabarowa  •  Jonas Mekas

Peter Sempel's masterful poetic film tribute to butoh performer Kazuo Ohno.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Peter Sempel
CAST:  Blixa Bargeld  •  Nina Hagen  •  Tanya Khabarowa  •  Jonas Mekas

The Written Face (1995)

In Japanese theater, women's roles are traditionally played by men. The man playing the woman's role, the Onnagata, does not imitate the woman, as in the West, but tries to capture her significance. He need not stick close to his model, but draws far more from his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Schmid
CAST:  Tamasaburo Bando  •  Kazuo Ohno  •  Haruko Sugimura  •  Kai Shishido

In Japanese theater, women's roles are traditionally played by men. The man playing the woman's role, the Onnagata, does not imitate the woman, as in the West, but tries to capture her significance. He need not stick close to his model, but draws far more from his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Schmid
CAST:  Tamasaburo Bando  •  Kazuo Ohno  •  Haruko Sugimura  •  Kai Shishido

Kazuo Ohno: I Dance Into the Light (2004)

A documentary about legendary butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Peter Sempel
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno  •  Yoshito Ohno  •  Tanya Khabarowa  •  Urara Kusanagi

A documentary about legendary butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Peter Sempel
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno  •  Yoshito Ohno  •  Tanya Khabarowa  •  Urara Kusanagi

The Masseurs (1963)

Anma (The Masseurs) is a representative and historical work by the creator of Butoh dance, Tatsumi Hijikata in his early period in the 1960s. The film is realized not only as a dance document but also as a Cine-Dance, a term made by Iimura, that is meant to be a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takahiko Iimura
CAST:  Tatsumi Hijikata  •  Kazuo Ohno

Anma (The Masseurs) is a representative and historical work by the creator of Butoh dance, Tatsumi Hijikata in his early period in the 1960s. The film is realized not only as a dance document but also as a Cine-Dance, a term made by Iimura, that is meant to be a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takahiko Iimura
CAST:  Tatsumi Hijikata  •  Kazuo Ohno

Rose Color Dance (1965)

A document of Tatsumi Hijikata's Butoh dance with Kazuo Ohno as the guest dancer shot in Hijikata's early period when he was emerging as the originator of Butoh. All of the male dancers are dressed up with evening suits and move gracefully, yet an intruder breaks ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takahiko Iimura
CAST:  Tatsumi Hijikata  •  Kazuo Ohno

A document of Tatsumi Hijikata's Butoh dance with Kazuo Ohno as the guest dancer shot in Hijikata's early period when he was emerging as the originator of Butoh. All of the male dancers are dressed up with evening suits and move gracefully, yet an intruder breaks ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takahiko Iimura
CAST:  Tatsumi Hijikata  •  Kazuo Ohno

Dance of Darkness (1989)

The dark sensibilities and cultural resonances of Butoh, the radical Japanese dance movement, are explored in this multilayered work. Profoundly rooted in both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, Butoh arose in a spirit of revolt in the early 1960s. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Edin Velez
CAST:  Tatsumi Hijikata  •  Kazuo Ohno

The dark sensibilities and cultural resonances of Butoh, the radical Japanese dance movement, are explored in this multilayered work. Profoundly rooted in both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, Butoh arose in a spirit of revolt in the early 1960s. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Edin Velez
CAST:  Tatsumi Hijikata  •  Kazuo Ohno

Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis (1990)

"Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis" is a visually striking film portrait shot on location in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh choreographers and their companies. Although Butoh is often viewed as Japan's equivalent of modern dance, in actuality it ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Yoko Ashikawa  •  Akiko Motofuji  •  Nario Goda  •  Tatsumi Hijikata

"Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis" is a visually striking film portrait shot on location in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh choreographers and their companies. Although Butoh is often viewed as Japan's equivalent of modern dance, in actuality it ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Yoko Ashikawa  •  Akiko Motofuji  •  Nario Goda  •  Tatsumi Hijikata

A Portrait of Mr O (1969)

A Portrait of Mr O is the first of a trilogy of experimental films about Kazuo Ohno, co-founder of the contemporary Japanese style of dance known as butoh, made with director Chiaki Nagano during a period in which he had retired from public performance, and just ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nagano Chiaki
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

A Portrait of Mr O is the first of a trilogy of experimental films about Kazuo Ohno, co-founder of the contemporary Japanese style of dance known as butoh, made with director Chiaki Nagano during a period in which he had retired from public performance, and just ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nagano Chiaki
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

Mandala of Mr O (1971)

Mandala of Mr O is the second of a trilogy of experimental films about Kazuo Ohno, co-founder of the contemporary Japanese style of dance known as butoh, made with director Chiaki Nagano during a period in which he had retired from public performance, and just ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nagano Chiaki
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

Mandala of Mr O is the second of a trilogy of experimental films about Kazuo Ohno, co-founder of the contemporary Japanese style of dance known as butoh, made with director Chiaki Nagano during a period in which he had retired from public performance, and just ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nagano Chiaki
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

Mr O's Book of the Dead (1973)

Mr O’s Book of the Dead is the last of a trilogy of experimental films about Kazuo Ohno, co-founder of the contemporary Japanese style of dance known as butoh, made with director Chiaki Nagano during a period in which he had retired from public performance, and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nagano Chiaki
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

Mr O’s Book of the Dead is the last of a trilogy of experimental films about Kazuo Ohno, co-founder of the contemporary Japanese style of dance known as butoh, made with director Chiaki Nagano during a period in which he had retired from public performance, and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nagano Chiaki
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

Kazuo Ohno (1995)

Kazuo Ohno, Father of the Butoh Dance, first appeared on stage at the age of 43. He left the stage only at the age of one hundred, three years before he died. This short dialogue less film presents the exceptional range of expressions that this Japanese dancer ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Schmid
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

Kazuo Ohno, Father of the Butoh Dance, first appeared on stage at the age of 43. He left the stage only at the age of one hundred, three years before he died. This short dialogue less film presents the exceptional range of expressions that this Japanese dancer ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Schmid
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

The Scene of the Soul (1991)

Starring Kazuo Ohno, an inspirational figure in Butoh dance.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Katsumi Hirano
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

Starring Kazuo Ohno, an inspirational figure in Butoh dance.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Katsumi Hirano
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

9.11-8.15 Nippon Suicide Pact (2006)

A film that reconsiders the modern state of Japan in relation to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nobuyuki Ōura
CAST:  Ichirō Hariu  •  Mei Shigenobu  •  Kazuo Ohno

A film that reconsiders the modern state of Japan in relation to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Nobuyuki Ōura
CAST:  Ichirō Hariu  •  Mei Shigenobu  •  Kazuo Ohno

Ohno Kazuo: Hitori-goto no yō ni (2005)

This documentary follows one of the creators of the japanese dance Butoh, Kazuo Ohno, 95, and his son, Yoshito Ohno.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Koshiro Otsu
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno

This documentary follows one of the creators of the japanese dance Butoh, Kazuo Ohno, 95, and his son, Yoshito Ohno.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Koshiro Otsu
CAST:  Kazuo Ohno