Set in the muted rural landscapes of Tochigi Prefecture, All About Lily Chou-Chou’s story is particularly vague, as if to play with its own strange emptiness. In spite of a list of awards that could compare him to Takeshi Kitano, his cinema is unconventional, exemplified in disjunctive cuts, ambivalent plots, and a revelling in naivety. Shunji Iwai’s hazy, atmosphere-led filmography can capture social realities through his subtle poetics, but his relatable narratives are always encapsulated with darker elements. Yuichi struggles to connect with others, but as he waits to be transcended at Lily Chou-Chou’s big Tokyo concert, the film’s spacious, misty cinematography -of hushed skies and countryside roads- depicts the effects of escapism. With Shunji Iwai’s illusive cinema, the airy soundtrack of 2001 film All About Lily Chou-Chou evokes the solitude experienced by Japan’s disaffected youths. According to online message boards, her ethereal voice carries an invisible substance fans call ‘the ether’, virtually omnipresent and capable of purifying life from pain.
Lily Chou-Chou is the only salvation for Yuichi, an anxious 8th grader who sees the enigmatic musician as his goddess.
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