An acrylic painting on wood panel, titled 'Cafe Lumiere', of a young woman holding a sign in one arm that reads 'W Seminar' in Japanese and a lit roman candle in the other (as if she is holding on to an imaginary grab handle) while kicking off her skirt.

Café Lumière

(2003, Hou Hsiao-Hsien)

This is the most relaxing movie I’ve ever seen! Nothing really happens but it’s perfect. Tadanobu Asano is one of my favorite actors and his character simply goes around recording the sounds of trains. The female lead is looking for the locations that a deceased composer used to frequent. The two sometimes search together. Again nothing exhilarating. I kick this movie on in the background sometimes when I’m painting, hence why I painted a fireworks girl from it.


A screenshot from the film 'Cafe Lumiere' of a man, Hajime, and Yoko sitting together. An animated gif of Yoko riding the bus while standing. A scene from the movie 'Cafe Lumiere'. A screenshot looking down on the famous Ochanomizu train tracks. From the film 'Cafe Lumiere'.

© 2003 - Shochiku