In late 2022 celebrated Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, stricken with terminal cancer, spent nine days at a Tokyo studio performing 20 of his much-loved pieces from across his career.
The pared-back performance, featuring just Sakamoto and his piano, was captured by his son, Neo Sora, and turned into a concert film "Opus," which is screening at the Venice Film Festival some six months after the 71-year-old composer died.
"His physical health was definitely deteriorating and it was impossible for him to go on tour and even play a full concert live in front of an audience. But he still wanted to make sure to leave something before he couldn't play any longer," Sora said in Venice following the film's world premiere.