“Sound of Kyoto” is a unique audiovisual portrait of Japan’s cultural capital. Authored and directed by internationally acclaimed artist Marios Joannou Elia, the ambitious film project has been commissioned by the Government of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, the City of Kyoto, and Kyoto Art Center.

“Sound of Kyoto” gives a contemporary musical voice to the entire prefecture, blending performances from over 560 musicians with natural sounds to capture Kyoto’s history, culture, and future vision. The dozens of indoor and outdoor locations featured in the film include Kyoto Concert Hall and the towering Sagano Bamboo Forest, as well as traditional artisans’ homes and workshops. 

Scheduled for international release in 2020, the film is being shot and edited by London-based cinematographer Kostis Nikolas. The filmmaker was confident in his choice of the Sony FS7 II Super 35-mm 4K camera to document the soul and spirit of Kyoto.

“The project required the high-quality 4K resolution that we are used to seeing from cinema cameras, but the shooting conditions demanded the ruggedness and versatility of a documentary camera. And that’s exactly what the FS7 II does — marries ergonomics with picture quality.”

Aside from stunning 4K picture quality, ergonomics and practical considerations were high on Kostis’s agenda for picking the right camera to handle a grueling shooting schedule.

“You have a tried and tested camera body that’s ready to go in no time, all the buttons you need to operate on the fly, lightweight batteries that last for hours, and a versatile E-mount that can take any lens if you have the right adaptor. And on the other hand, you have pristine 4K resolution, flawless 60p slow motion, and a very powerful log image. Whenever I wanted to isolate a detail of an artisan’s work, I would often use a fast, long or macro lens and shoot with the iris wide open. Combining this style of shooting with the cinematic capabilities of the FS7 II, you get as a result an almost ethereal esthetic.”