This is another film with an interesting creation story, which explains the disparate styles. Atsushi Funahashi, a Japanese ex-pat living in the U.S., returns to Tokyo, and finds the strong ageism startling. He teaches film at a university near Yanaka, and so had a group of students go about making mini documentaries of the various craftsfolk and temple keepers in the area as an exercise.

 

To Funahashi's amazement, one of the senior monks at a temple near Yanaka Cemetery had captured footage of the fire of the 5 story pagoda, once considered among the most prominent pagodas in the Tokyo. Entranced by the dramatic, destructive beauty of the fire, Funahashi wove together the story of its construction with footage his students had taken and created a fictional narrative to tie everything together.

 

This film is a big reason why Cinequest is so important. How often does one get the opportunity to view films created in such an unusual, spontaneous way. Also, some of my fellow viewers had little experience with the subject of this movie. However, this sort of fiction infused history is exactly the type of trigger for my Nipponaphilia. I would very much like to explore Yanaka if I am able to visit Japan again.