Japanese Doomsday Cultists Meet Welsh Poetry in Noah Conopask's Short Film

This moody short was inspired by the dark side of Japan, paired with the dark side of Welsh poetry.

Director Noah Conopask said: “On a recent shoot in Tokyo I was incredibly inspired by Japan and everything I was seeing around me visually. The streets, the people and the fashion. I learned about a doomsday cult called Aum Shinrikyo (Japanese オウム真理教) that let off deadly sarin nerve gas in Tokyo’s subway system 20 years ago. The attack was the worst in modern Japanese history. It made me think of Dylan Thomas poems about life and death. It was something I wanted to bring to life cinematically. I had a vision of a few of the cult members walking around Tokyo. Staking out the attack, the way thieves would a bank heist."

Poem: 'And Death Shall Have No Dominion'

Excerpt by Dylan Thomas