A documentary that follows two British artists, Charlotte Mei and Grace Helmer, as they explore Japan, creating responsive work for an exhibition in Tokyo.
‘Gitaigo’ is a Japanese term that loosely means ‘onomatopoeia’, but is actually a sub-category for words that specifically reflect the sounds of emotions and feelings. Grace and Charlotte named their exhibition ‘waku waku’, a gitaigo word which translates as the sound of feeling excited.
I directed, shot and edited the film, as well as animated and scored the ‘dictionary’ section. I wanted the project to reflect the excitement of the artists as they gained inspiration from the culture and vibrancy of Japan. As a documentary, I tried to maintain an observant distance, while also allowing more frantic experiential spontanaeity to slip in too. The soundtrack is by Sami Elu, a musician who I discovered performing on a street on the final night of the shoot, as we were walking home.
