BBC Arena: Tenjo Sajiki (1978) is a 20-minute documentary about a surreal Japanese theatre troupe. Tenjo Sajiki was co-founded and led by Shūji Terayama, a Japanese avant-garde poet, writer, director, photographer, and dramatist. He's been viewed by many critics as one of the most provocative artists in Japan with a wide range of work including countercultural essays, radio drama, experimental television, underground theatre, and Japanese New Wave cinema.
Tenjo Sajiki was known for their experimentation, folklore influences, social provocation, grotesque eroticsm, and surrealism. The documentary notes how the theatre troupe exposes the audience to "sounds, half glimpsed events, and impressions", many of which are nightmarish, and are all incredibly compelling. Some of the wild imagery in this documentary has been burnt into my mind.
