NCM is situated on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. We pay respects to them, especially their Elders and storytellers, as well as all First Peoples, nationwide. NCM acknowledges that communication technologies have a long history here, far longer than European occupation.

Film Screening | JIZAI

Programs & Events

Photo by NOJYO. JIZAI (2024), film still. Directed by Maiko Endo.

Session details below • 10 January, 1pm–1.15pm

Free with museum entry, registration required

Book here

In a laboratory, a child is at the center of a mysterious experiment. Augmenting his body with robotics, the boy receives data from the outside world and communicates with other children across space and time.

JIZAI (2024) explores a near-future scenario where children are connected to and integrated with robotic devices, experiencing real-world sensations as part of an experiment to extend human abilities. The film follows a child in a laboratory using robotic prosthetics, JIZAI ARMS, and special glasses (designed by one of Japan’s leading and most respected principals, Professor Yamanaka) to communicate with others across locations, transcending physical limitations.

A cinematic adaptation of the Inami JIZAI Body Project at The University of Tokyo, this film is presented to compliment the JIZAI installation in FRIEND , offering a vivid exploration of human-machine integration and the potential of sensory augmentation. Visit FRIEND after the screening to see the JIZAI ARMS and Professor Yamanaka's glasses featured in the film.

Maiko Endo | Japan | 2024 | Unclassified (15+)

Courtesy: Erato Inami JIZAI Body Project & Maiko Endo

Runtime: 14 minutes

Japanese language, English subtitles

Screenings

Additional sessions

Sat 10 Jan | 1pm | Screening
+
Sat 14 Mar | 11.30am | Screening
+

Film credits

Maiko Endo

Director

Born in Helsinki and raised in Tokyo. A violinist by training, after pursuing filmmaking in New York during the 2000s, Endo directed her debut film KUICHISAN which won the grand prize at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival in 2012. Her second film TECHNOLOGY was completed in 2016. Endo’s latest mid-length TOKYO TELEPATH 2020 was an official selection of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Currently based in Tokyo, Endo has expanded her artistic practice beyond filmmaking. In 2021, she unveiled her first video installation, ELECTRIC SHOP NO.1, at Takuro Someya Contemporary Art. In 2022, she introduced the innovative online streaming project X (Japanese title: 空), commissioned by the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (TOP Museum). X premiered by streaming during the Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions 2022 and became the first online work to be collected by the public museum in Tokyo. It was subsequently included in the 2023 exhibition After The Landscape Theory at TOP museum.

Endo’s latest short film, JIZAI (2024), was created in collaboration with the Japan Science and Technology Agency and the University of Tokyo. The film premiered at Visions du Réel in 2024 and was later screened at the New York Film Festival, Viennale, and other prominent festivals. Behind-the-scenes materials from the project were featured in the exhibition Future Elements: Experimental Laboratory for Prototyping in Science and Design at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT. Her newest installation is currently on view in the exhibition Metal at Le Forum, Hermès Maison Ginza in Tokyo, running until January 31, 2026. Through her multidisciplinary approach, Maiko Endo continues to explore the intersections of film and contemporary art, contributing to the evolution of both fields.

Credits

Cast: Yotaro Endo, Maya Schmidt, Tenma Hayakawa

Writer, Editor, Producer and Director: Maiko Endo

Executive Producer: Tomo Suzuki, Masahiko Inami

Co-Producers: Harumi Kusumi, Junki Nakagawa, Naoki Noda

Director of Photography: Naoki Noda

Set Designer: Takayuki Mitsuizumi, Natsuki Fujioka

Lighting Director: Yuki Maeshima

Production Sound Mixer: Mikisuke Shimadzu

Still Photographer: NOJYO

Sound Designer: Nicolas Becker

Re-Recording Mixer: Naoko Asari

Music and Sound Effects: Takashi Hattori

VFX Artist: Hiroaki Hotta

Colourist: Mari Yasuda

Title and Credits Designer: Masaaki Kuroyanagi

Cooperation: The University of Tokyo Waseda University Toyohashi University Of Technology, Center National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS-France), The University Of Electro-Communications

Executive Production: Jst Erato Inami JIZAI Body Project, Tomo Suzuki Japan

Production: 3 Eyes Film, A Fool

Associated Production: Art & Science Communication Lab Jizaie, Inc. Three-Films

Venue Accessibility

  • This program is a film screening and includes moving visual projections
  • This film is played at a loud volume including brief moments where it may reach approximately 100 decibels
  • This program includes seating for all attendees
  • NCM is fully wheelchair accessible
  • All gender and accessible toilets are available on both levels
  • Hearing loop available
  • NCM is a high sensory space with a variety of noise and lighting.
  • If you have any other access needs please get in touch, we'd love to help hello@ncm.org.au

What else is on at NCM Summer?

NCM Summer

Learn More About FRIEND

FRIEND

FRIEND