Tokyo olympiad

Recording the Olympic Games of 1964 in Tokyo on film was a task that developed into a huge enterprise. Ichigawa Kon, the well-known Japanese director of, among other films, NOBI (1959), was invited to direct the film. Inimitably, he directed 164 cameramen who together used 1031 cameras with 232 different kinds of lenses. 122 Kilometres of film were used, and 500 people were involved in finishing TOKYO OLYMPIAD.
Ichigawa did not put the emphasis on the grandeur, nor on the competitive element of this spectacle. The film offers a meticulous observation of the top-class sportspeople as individuals. Each in his or her own way, they prepare themselves for an attempt to break their personal record. They concentrate to the utmost to achieve their goals.
Technically speaking, this documentary includes fascinating shots. Due to remarkable camera effects, such as extreme close-ups, the spectator is given an unusual view of the world of the Olympic Games.