Jon Chiang captures the mime under the mask

Directed by Jon Chiang through Chifa Studios, The Mime takes a contemplative look into the colourful life of Japanese mime and mask maker Yayoi Hirano. 

The film alternates between video tape recordings of Hirano’s past performances, and dramatic shots starring the artist adorned with her exquisite, traditional handmade masks. 

Meditative scenes candidly capture her as she reflects on her fifty year relationship with the craft, set against backdrops of the beach and her studio.  

Chiang presents a portrait that is both enchanting and sensitively insightful, contemplating the lessons Hirano has learned through a lifetime of creativity and performance, and how her passion for making kept her strong even through her battle with cancer.