In this poetic film, The Lost Textile of Ryukyu, Reiko Sudo, head designer of the legendary Japanese textile company Nuno, takes us on a journey to the southernmost island of Japan.

Famed for producing innovative textiles, Reiko integrates traditional craft into textile making with new materials and techniques. She has been recognised globally for her commitment to the preservation and revitalisation of traditional craftsmanship and fabric recycling. Through new designs, she has revived old Japanese textile machines and techniques which are on the verge of disappearing. To address the problem of textile waste, she has often created new designs out of textiles damaged during the process of production.

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Join Reiko as she travels around Okinawa, searching for the secrets of the lost craft of “ton-byan”. The Ryukyu Kingdom (15C-19C) flourished in present-day Okinawa through international trade and developed a unique culture known for its beautifully dyed and woven textiles. While craftspeople made painstaking efforts to revive some of these traditions after they were lost in World War II, the exquisite type of fabric called "ton-byan" remains a mystery.

The film is available free of charge until November 7th, 2021. Watch here.