Interview with Umi Ishihara

Umi Ishihara talks about Nocturnal Melody, open at Gasworks from 22 January – 22 March 2026. Find out more about the exhibition as she reflects on the ideas and processes behind the work, her personal motivations, and how the project transformed as it unfolded. Mixing documentary and fiction, Nocturnal Melody weaves together personal stories, societal histories and generational effects in an examination of women and their experiences of nightlight. The film follows the lives of Eri and Catalina, two dancers based in Tokyo whose lives are fuelled by music, nightlife and desire. They share their stories; of their childhood, growing up, dreams and politics. In this world, orthodox rules and societal codes become slippery. Performing, working, flirting and socialising merge into a continuous lived practice. As the film shifts amongst different registers including documentary footage, interviews-to-camera, night vision shots and saturated glimpses of Tokyo at night, we’re offered fleeting insight into the complexity of their lives and the roles they occupy.