“The Kamo-Gawa is a shallow river that flows through Kyoto, bisecting it from
North to South. Completely domesticated in the town centre, it runs high only after
heavy rain. The banks on either side have pedestrian and cycle paths, and there
are numerous bridges linking them, inlcuding the Sanjo. All along the river you can
see people sitting on the banks at regular intervals enjoying the coolness, plus
walkers and joggers and cyclists. The left bank around the Sanjo Bridge has long
been a meeting place for adolescents. At this spot the bank is a little larger and
the hip eateries, bars and shops are all nearby.
There are groups and couples, sitting and standing, talking, flirting and phoning...
In the landscape low modern and traditional constructions mix and form a long
urban screen behind the river. At nightfall, this scene/screen is totally transformed,
taken over by the colour of the neons and the luminous screens of the windows.”
– Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, 2003
Riyo was filmed in Kyoto, at the bank of the Kamo River between Shijo Bridge and Sanjo bridge.
A telephone conversation between a young couple (in Japanese, subtitled in English) lends narration
to slowly panning camera, which guides the viewer along the length of the riverbank. As the sun
sets, the neon lights of the city’s skyline gradually appear.
(Film still)
63