The film’s title Eijanaika translates directly to “Why not?”, referring to a collective popular movement marked by singing, dancing, and the chanting of “eijanaika” across Japan in the third year of Keio (1867). In characteristic freewheeling Imamura style, he renders the historical epic through an insect’s-eye view of history, privileging the perspectives of peasants, prostitutes, and the dispossessed as they are swept along by the tides of history. 

Sonic Cinema and the Japan Foundation present the films of Montreal-based artist Daïchi Saïto, projected from his personal 35mm prints. A rare encounter with a singular voice in artisanal film practice, this programme highlights Saïto’s skill in bridging metaphysical concepts with sensory experience.