Art Drop 24: Work, Rest, Routine

Contemplating 'Perfect Days' and the allure of cleaning toilets.

“The world is made up of many worlds. Some are connected and some are not…”

Hirayama and Niko in Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders.

Tom: I remember hearing some praise a couple of years ago about Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days, but it didn’t lodge in my mind as something I had to see. But back in March during a stressful stretch of time we took a chance on this film. It was exactly the movie experience we didn’t know we needed. Without having any expectations as to what the movie was about we were instantly drawn in and deeply enjoyed its quiet meditative beauty. Now I know what all the fuss was about. Three viewings later, we’re going to have a back-and-forth about it here. If you haven’t seen Perfect Days, you should! For those of you in the US it is currently available for free on Kanopy if your library participates.

Diana: Twenty minutes into watching the film, you turned to me and said “I just want to be cleaning toilets in Tokyo.” Of course I knew exactly what you meant because I also had the exact same impulse, but anyone reading this who hasn’t seen Perfect Days might be surprised to hear that! What did the film confront you with?

Tom: I think it was mostly psychological, but it’s that allure of something else, a different kind of life. It makes no sense though because we went through a lot to get here: to relocate to the Berkshires, build this house and have a studio to help further our work. We’ve achieved a lot over the last few years, so for cleaning toilets in Tokyo to now seem appealing is ridiculous. It’s definitely a ‘grass is greener’ situation, but that’s where the movie excels – it presents Hirayama’s life as simple and satisfying, largely free of stress, and although he’s cleaning public toilets it appears to be a life he is very content with. What was your initial response to the movie and did that change with the later viewings?

Hirayama’s day cleaning toilets, making photographs, and reading, in Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders.

Diana: I found great comfort in observing Hirayama’s routines, in the simplicity of his everyday, in the stretches of quiet and solitude, in the moments without interruption. Sure, interruption does happen, life happens to him, but he is constantly given these opportunities to reset by returning to his routine. I think this is the stark lesson of the film for me, he works hard, he enjoys his interests and for the most part finds his way back to a contented balance by living in the now. With each viewing of the film, I come to understand this lesson a little bit more.

Hirayama sleeping in Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders.

Tom: Having been to Tokyo once, almost twenty years ago, I think the movie also recalled some dormant memories for me. It was so long ago now that I feel like it was in another lifetime, but the backstreets where he rode his bike felt familiar, and the light, and the general calm vibe of the city despite it being so vast and densely populated. I will share a few photographs from that trip below. I know Perfect Days has brought about some lifestyle changes for you, you should write about that.

Tokyo, Japan, 2006. Photos by Tom Bland.

Tokyo, Japan, 2006. Photo by Tom Bland.

Tokyo, Japan, 2006. Photos by Tom Bland.

Diana: Indeed – honestly I think about the film almost every day. Soon after seeing the movie I got a part-time job on an all-female gardening crew tending flower gardens here in the Berkshires. I’m away from the computer, away from the camera, working outdoors without even thinking about what time it is or what I need to accomplish on my to-do list. The job has been a real eye-opener in so many ways but I can relate to Hirayama’s exhaustion at the end of the day when he gets into bed, and also the peace that comes with working on something with your full body instead of doing a lot of mental work while sitting at a desk getting interrupted by notifications, watching the clock trying to get as much work done as possible before time is up for the day. The benefits for my mental health are obvious and I’m grateful for them. I’ve also brought a few plants home for our garden… a joyful bonus of the job that makes me think of the film too. And taking a quick shower after a full day of gardening and having that reset is just this glorious feeling that I really look forward to now!

“For A Hard Day’s Work!”

Tom: You mentioned Hirayama’s bed and I don’t think I have ever seen a movie that makes sleep look so appealing. For the benefit of anyone reading this I will explain that in building a house and not really having furniture we had the opportunity to forgo the western bed + mattress and instead opted for Japanese tatami mats with futon mattresses and buckwheat pillows. I wonder if others found the sleep scenes to be as calming and sleep-inducing, or if we relate to it more because we sleep on the same kind of mattress and pillows? I know you also enjoyed that about the film.

Diana: Perfect Days spans twelve days, and each time Hirayama goes to bed I feel this pull towards sleep myself. It’s so visceral in the film and yes, I think because we know what it’s like to sleep in that setup, just the sound of the buckwheat pillow being moved activates the part of my brain that just wants to relax and go to sleep. Which brings us to the film’s dream sequences, created by the director’s wife, Donata Wenders.

Frames from some of the dream sequences composed by Donata Wenders in Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders.

Tom: Yes those dreams were among my highlights and really they’re the inspiration for this art drop and the reason we’re here to talk about the movie. I really liked how they distilled the key moments and visuals from Hirayama’s days – and with Hirayama being a photographer himself (he takes his classic Olympus Mju camera loaded with black and white 35mm everywhere he goes), we get to see his vision, his eye, in the form of these layered, textural, analog, monochrome vignettes. It took me back to my animation days at university where I would animate digital stills or single frames from my Super 8mm and combine or layer those animated sequences with video. So for this art drop I used the Perfect Days dream sequences as a prompt to create something photographic but experimental using elements of my everyday. I’ve felt quite rudderless with my photography recently so I needed an occasion to think differently and try to find some kind of spark again.

Art Drop #24

Interior I
West Stockbridge, MA, USA
by Tom Bland

This limited release is only available through May 7, 2025 with no further production of this work for at least a year. The image is 6 x 9” printed on 8.5 x 11” Greenpix Photo Matte 100% recycled paper. To learn more or order a print, click the button below to visit the art drop page on our website.

“Next time is next time. Now is now.”

Diana: In the spirit of the film we’ll just say thanks for reading and if you have seen Perfect Days please join us in the comments with your takeaways from the film. If you haven’t seen it yet, you won’t regret seeking it out and we would be happy to hear what kind of effect it has on you.

Tom & Diana

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