The Japanese dance form of Butoh is explored in Invisible People. Butoh is a contemporary Japanese dance that flows between revolt, eroticism, trance, prayer, ancestral experience, and physical anonymity. Yoshito Ohno is the son of Butoh founder Kazuo Ohno, who runs a dance studio known as “the Church of Butoh.” Many of Yoshito's students describe why they adopted this art form that represents a communion between the living and the dead.
Invisible People Synopsis
Invisible People is a documentary about Butoh directed by Alisa Berger. The title is a euphemism for how Butoh dancers' white make-up and contortionist movements make them representative of the ghosts that surround us. The film is comprised of various Butoh routines, along with its more risque counterpart Erotic Show Dance, accompanied by voice-over narration by Alisa Berger and the various dancers. Particular attention in the film is spent on Butoh instructor Yoshito Ohno, who passed away in 2020, during filming.
My Thoughts on Invisible People
One thing immediately apparent by the Butoh dancing seen in Invisible People is how much this dance forms an influence on the movements of the ghosts in J-horror films such as Ringo and Ju-on. Indeed, Invisible People is a very ethereal film, climaxing with an extended montage of Butoh dance routines in memory of Yoshito Ohno, whose death in January 2020 ends the narrative portion of the documentary. While Butoh is not for everyone, Invisible People is a very interesting look at this art form.
