Let's be honest: this is a beautiful, critically-acclaimed documentary that 99% of families will find unwatchable. It's slow, meditative, and requires genuine interest in experimental music or documentary filmmaking to engage with.
That said, for the right teen—the one learning piano, obsessed with music production, or genuinely curious about artistic process—this could be genuinely enriching. Sakamoto is a legend (The Last Emperor, The Revenant soundtracks), and watching him work is like watching a master craftsman.
The WISE components score well because it's thoughtful, safe, and artistically valuable. But the overall score takes a hit because this is specialty content with extremely limited appeal. If your teen is into Radiohead, ambient music, or has ever said "I want to be a composer," queue it up. Otherwise, skip it without guilt.





