Wim Wenders’s return to fiction filmmaking is a poignant character study that extols the virtues of simplicity and humility in its portrait of a man who appears to be genuinely contented with his lot, such as it is. Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho), a solitary, though not necessarily lonely man, is a cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo, an insalubrious profession that he nevertheless approaches with utmost seriousness. We are invited to follow Hirayama on his daily routine as he fastidiously polishes and scrubs the public conveniences under his jurisdiction, taking great pride in his work, while casting a baleful eye over the less attentive efforts of his young assistant, Takashi (Tokio Emoto). Hirayama is revealed to have a passion for books and music, and we share his pleasure as he listens to The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, and Patti Smith on his daily commute.

There will be Open Captioned screenings at 20.40 on Tuesday 27th and 13.00 on Thursday 29th.

Notes by David O’Mahony