Mandala of Mr. O

Mandala of Mr. O (1971) is the second of three films made by butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno in close collaboration with documentary filmmaker Chiaki Nagano. Shot on a mountain in Gunma (Japan) and the uninhabited island of Sarushima in Tokyo Bay, Nagano filmed Ohno dancing in direct response to the landscapes, before assembling the footage into what he described in an interview as a mandala of Ohno's inner world — reflecting the dancer's inner life even further than the first film in the trilogy. The film was originally accompanied by a programme put together by Koichi Tanikawa, with contributions from Simon Yotsuya, Ikuya Katō, Tatsumi Hijikata and others. The programme's subtitle read: "This is a story of the cruel and gentle dreams and memories of a house in Japan."

This newly digitally remastered screening receives its UK premiere, and forms part of Rebellious Bodies Festival 2026, an international programme exploring Japanese butoh and its legacies, running across London venues in autumn 2026. For the other films in Nagano and Ohno's trilogy, please see the festival's full programme.

The screening will begin with a short introduction by Rebellious Bodies Festival Director Mai Burns, and has been put together with thanks to Marie-Gabrielle Rotie, Senior Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London.

For more information, go to: www.rebelliousbodiesfestival.com