Kokoro is for Heart features poet Gerry Shikatani and explores the relationships surrounding language, image and sound, set to the backdrop of a gravel pit. When I got the footage back from the lab I was disappointed because of the periodic flipping of the image. After screening the footage several times I realised that the malfunctioning camera rendered the filmed-nature unnatural...what is nature? What is natural? (PH)

"Communication takes a poetic turn in Kokora is for Heart. Originating as a performance piece, the director, Phil Hoffman, screened segments of this film in a random order selected by the audience (Opening Series 3). Accompanying this was the sound poetry of Gerry Shikatani. From this process the film has found its organic and final structure." (Liz Czach, Toronto International Film Festival 1999)

Camera and Editing: Philip Hoffman
Sound Composition and Performance: Garry Shikatani
Spoken text in English, Japanese and French

Production format: 16mm

Award: Best Experimental at Athens International Film and Video Festival