In the wake of the Fukushima disaster and the tsunami that followed, Ryuichi Sakamoto tracks down a piano that although a little water damaged, survived. "I felt as though I was playing the corpse of a piano that drowned". He's against nuclear, not just weapons, but power. That's not something we hear about much in the U. K., but then we've not had a meltdown on home turf. It may seem like a random start, but it's context and that's what Coda does well, paints a picture of events and influences that Sakamoto draws on. There's plenty of piano here, but the two big topics are his love and admiration of nature and is his cancer diagnosis that's now driving him to continue creating. Be it film scoring or a new record, one that was put on hold with the diagnosis. He knows the clock is ticking and wants to leave behind "meaningful work". Sadly the clock has stopped now, which makes watching this a little mournful. Especially with the candid shots of him taking medication and brushing his teeth. It's magical watching him experiment though. Recording foley sounds of nature out in forests. Matching them with strings in the studio, a common theme of nature and man working with and against each other. Leafing through Tarkovsky photo books, recording the rain hitting windows, standing outside with a bucket on his head. When he smiles at what he's creating, it's emotional. Pure joy. Along with the present day circa 2017, there's more of that context, with his 80s kitsch pop star phase and of course the famous 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence', from the film that I didn't realise he also starred in. He has quite a list of credits, both as actor and composer. It's his story in his voice. Traveling the world, a love letter to nature and its influence. That's what Coda tries to capture. A career perspective, in his final chapter.
