I made these films originally shot in 8mm in the early days of my filmmaking before 1971 and now collected first time in DVD with re-editing and new music in some films (T.I.)

The Pacific Ocean (1971) 7 min. music: Akiko Samukawa (2012)
Shot on 8mm on the 12-day boat journey between Yokohama and San Francisco, Iimura's The Pacific Ocean consumes the anticipation and uncertainties of a voyage on waves with an obsessive attention on the ripples. An added score by Akiko Samukawa (2012) deepens the anxiety as it sinks in that we are no longer aware of the direction in which we are heading.(Julian Ross)

Kiri (The Fog) (1970) 3 min. silent
Shot on 8mm on a mountain in Japan, the abrasive winds that drift the fog in Iimura's Kiri are so fierce we almost believe it to have grazed the filmstrip. The scratches, however, emerge as dust particles that submerge in and out of the mist. A comparative piece to Larry Gottheim's Fog Line (1970), Kiri shows rare patience in such a situation.(J.R)

Honey Moon (1966) 7 min. music: Akiko Samukawa (2012)
A touching portrait of his partner Akiko and the days following their wedding, Iimura's conceptual rigour loosens in favour of intimacy in Honey Moon.(J.R)

I Saw the Shadow (1966) 7 min. silent
A precedent to Iimura's video work where he becomes his own subject, I Saw the Shadow sees Iimura follow his own shadow in and out of vision as he roams around streets, steps and fields. As the film progresses, it becomes increasingly unclear whether it is his shadow or camera that is guiding his steps.(J.R)

Iro (Colors) (1962) 10 min. music: Yasunao Tone (1962)
First projected onto Jiro Takamatsu's naked back at the legendary Sogetsu Art Center for the performance Screen Play, Colors is an experiment in concoction. Iimura drops paint into oil and water and melts wax as he films the colors take shape whilst simultaneously dissolving into one another. An eerie soundtrack by Yasunao Tone of Group Ongaku and Fluxus creates an impression of music being the witch behind the craft.(J.R)

Dada 62 (1962) 10 min. music: Haruyuki Suzuki (2012)
Yomiuri Independent was an annual show between 1949-1963 that exhibited all art that was submitted. Artists in the early 60s began to take advantage of the challenge by provoking the organisers with their submissions that cast a question on the framework of art within the gallery space. The objet d'art and performances we see in Dada 62 are fragments of what was shown in its 1962 version with pieces by Genpei Akasegawa, Jiro Takamatsu and Shinmei Kojima making an appearance.(In case of the performance in 1963, Iimura interpreted a graphic score by Yasunao Tone in his projection of the film at the Naiqua Gallery where he performed the projector as an instrument. As usual for Iimura, the piece is not simply a document but an interaction with the art he films.)(J.R)

RESOURCES:
Takahiko Iimura in UbuWeb Sound