The NHK documentary ¡°Ryuichi Sakamoto: Last Days¡± was awarded an International Emmy Award in the arts programming category in New York on Monday. The 53rd edition of the International Emmy Awards honored exceptional television programs produced outside the United States, and this year, ¡°Last Days¡± was the sole Japanese winner.
Accepting the award, executive producer Kenichi Matsumiya reflected on a Latin phrase that Ryuichi Sakamoto often cited: ¡°Art is long, life is short.¡± ¡°I understood this message as we¡¯re constantly running out of time, especially when you do something good or try to create something great,¡± Matsumiya said.
During the awards ceremony, Matsumiya also spoke about the challenge of creating a documentary centered on the final chapter of the late composer¡¯s life. ¡°The hardest part was to depict death with dignity,¡± he told reporters. ¡°After trial and error, we figured the best way to present it was using his own words and footage, arranged strictly in chronological order. That way it would be like a dialogue between him and the viewers. I thought that was the right way to do it.¡±
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