An Engineer's Assistant + On the Road

Two breathtaking films by Noriaki Tsuchimoto (who died in June). The first is a portrait of railway works, while the On the Road is a cinematic look at the work of taxi drivers.

An Engineer's Assistant

Most people – even those who know a lot about non-fiction film, would say that America and France in the 60s were the places to be as a documentary film-maker. But both this film by Noriaki Tsuchimoto (who died in June), and On the Road, are so breathtaking that like Man with a Movie Camera or Night Mail, that they make us revise our opinion. An Engineer's Assistant, shot on 35mm colour stock, is a portrait of railway workers. It is homoerotic and shows why Japan's work ethic helped it recover from war.

An Engineer's Assistant

Directed by:

Noriaki Tsuchimoto

Country:

Japan

Year:

1965

Running time:

37min