Kodo: Heartbeat Drummers of Japan

Directed by Jacques Holender

Kodo—the Japanese word for heartbeat—is the name of a group of musicians and dancers whose exhilarating performances of traditional and contemporary Japanese drumming has captivated audiences worldwide since its 1981 debut in Berlin. Produced and directed by filmmaker Jacques Holender, this is the original 1983 KODO documentary, which explores their commitment to a unique aesthetic and collective ideal. Filmed on location in Japan at their communal home on Sado Island, and in Tokyo. Soon after this documentary was filmed in January 1984, the young performers of Kodo set out on a new journey under the banner of “One Earth Tour.” By taking the sound of taiko to all corners of the globe, Kodo hoped their music and message would resonate with myriad cultures and ways of life, reminding people of our common bonds as human beings. In 2024, this film was digitized and made available for distribution to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the beginning of Kodo’s ongoing “One Earth Tour."