FANTASIA 2021 | Going Jet-Set in Japan with "Dreams on Fire"

10/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars

The life of a dancer is one of dogged pursuit. You shuttle yourself from practice to audition to competition to after party, and even after you pry yourself away from the frenzy of the dance floor and the music fades, the groove that worked its way into your spine long ago and that nagging bit of choreo just won’t let you rest.

Such are the jet-set ways of Yume (Bambi Naka), a young woman from the Japanese countryside who dives headlong into Tokyo’s underground dance scenes in hopes of financing her stay in the busy metropolis and, on a more spiritual level, bestowing herself with the means to continue her soul aim in life.

From Canadian director Philippe McKie (who has lived in Japan for over ten years now), Dreams on Fire is a tour of many stops through the neon-tinged subcultures of Japan, as well as a modest unveiling of the intersections of between business, sex, and image-making that take place therein. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Yume, a fresh-faced presence in the scene, sees her first forays into the entertainment industry and Tokyo’s red-light district attract the attention of employers hoping to serve her youthful looks up to lecherous businessmen. But these tentative first steps are far from dead ends. McKie’s film is not about the corruption of a young woman in a twisted system of exploitation; rather, it is an earnest portrayal of the hurdles one faces when starting as a nobody in a big city, and the valuable interactions, connections, and experience one can find through determination, even if one’s stick-to-itiveness lands them in some less seamy situations.

In an interview with SNACK magazine, McKie said: “One thing I love about Tokyo is that there are many secret worlds to discover.” There are bound to be corrupt shadowy-types looking to rule their slab of these underworlds, his film seems to say, but Dreams on Fire goes further to offer hope—in the individuals who, like Yume, embrace these worlds well-intentioned and seeking inspiration; who see Yume for her talent, her drive, and her character. Every time it seems like your dream has been burnt down to a crisp, a new opportunity to give your dreams wings just may rise from the ashes...

On the whole, Dreams on Fire speaks to this thesis with both a refreshing exuberance and a vibrant visual style. McKie enlisted real dancers in the Tokyo scene for his film, and it is both exhilarating and enlightening to see how the dance styles of popping, locking, voguing, krumping and more express themselves with Tokyo’s modern hip-hop disciples. While the cinematography employed doesn’t work any new tricks in immersing you in the choreography on display, it does have the added benefit of Tokyo’s intoxicating neon glows to give it a an almost other-worldly sheen, and actual Tokyo nightlife locations featured will make you want to go scouring Google Maps.

Of course, the film is less intent on exploring the spaces featured than keeping a tight frame on Naka’s Yume. Like her shoebox of a single-room apartment (if it can be called that) necessitates, McKie’s camera stays close and personal with Naka as she bounds between her dance appointments, and it proves all the more adept at the subtle inflections of her performance as a result. While Yume’s encounters with other members of the dance community feel more cinema verité by comparison, this works to the film’s benefit, highlighting the fact that these are real people in Tokyo who themselves pursue dance careers every day and emanate a palpable passion.

The end result of Dreams on Fire feels more stimulating in the documentary sense than it does shattering in the narrative sense, but McKie has still brought forth an ambitious piece of filmmaking that will capture the interests of dancers and surprise those unacquainted with the scene. As a former breakdancer, this writer can attest to watching this film and feeling the pull of the freestyle circle (or “cipher”), as well as the rush of a just-completed routine. As someone who has been turned away at auditions and lost competitions, I can also say I know all too well the stings and the lows of dance. But like Yume exemplifies in Dreams on Fire: embrace not what breaks you down, but what’s next.

DIRECTOR

Philippe McKie

WRITER

Philippe McKie

CAST

Akaji Maro, Bambi Naka, Masahiro Takashima

SOUND DESIGNER

Remy Sealey