An Oscar Nomination for Op-Docs

In "Instruments of a Beating Heart," first-graders in a Tokyo public elementary school are presented with a challenge for the final semester: to form an orchestra and perform "Ode to Joy" at a school ceremony. Ayame, a student who often struggles to keep up with the group, is determined to play a major part: the big drum. Through her emotional journey, the film shows how the Japanese school system prepares the next generation to become part of Japanese society.

This is the seventh nomination for Op-Docs since the franchise launched in 2011, and its fourth since 2021. The Times won its first Oscar, for Ben Proudfoot's Op-Docs film "The Queen of Basketball," in 2022.

For Opinion, Adam Ellick was the executive producer, Alexandra Garcia was the supervising producer, Christine Kecher was the senior commissioning editor and Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo was the producer.

"Instruments of a Beating Heart" was directed by Ema Ryan Yamazaki, produced by Eric Nyari of Cineric Creative and co-produced by NHK, Japan's public media organization. Ema also edited the documentary "Black Box Diaries," directed by Shiori Ito, which is a nominee for this year's Academy Awards in the Documentary Feature category.

"Seeing our shared humanity in others is what makes storytelling impactful, so it comes as no surprise that "Instruments of a Beating Heart" has been nominated for an Academy Award this year. It's only human, after all, to find oneself in the joyful, captivating tale of the first-graders featured," said Kathleen Kingsbury, head of New York Times Opinion. "I'm very proud of Ema, Eric and the Op-Docs team for all their hard work. They are so deserving of this esteemed recognition."

Ema Ryan Yamazaki is a Japanese-British documentary filmmaker and editor, with roots in New York. With a unique perspective as an insider and outsider in Japan, Ema strives to tell stories that empathetically show human struggle and triumph. Ema has directed three feature documentaries: "The Making of a Japanese" (2023), "Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams" (2019) and "Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators" (2017).

Op-Docs, The Times's award-winning short documentary film series, is part of The Times's Opinion Video department. Curated from works by both renowned and emerging filmmakers, the collection of more than 400 short films have sparked global conversations, influenced national policies and garnered an array of industry distinctions, including Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards and an Oscar. Recent Op-Docs include 2023 Oscar nominee "Island in Between," 2023 News and Documentary Emmy winner "My Disability Roadmap," 2022 Oscar winner "The Queen of Basketball," 2021 Oscar nominee "A Concerto Is a Conversation." Find the full list of nominees here. Winners for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on March 2.