Kyoto – Heart of Japan 2015 (DVD), 1968 (35 mm)
Distributed by Marty Gross Film Productions, 637 Davenport Road, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5R 1L3; 1.416.536.3355
Produced by Seiichiro Eida
Directed by Kon Ichikawa
DVD , color, 37 min., narration in English, Japanese or Italian
General Adult
Landscape Design, Zen Buddhism
Date Entered: 05/23/2016
Reviewed by Sharadha Natraj, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, School of Architecture and Urban Planning“This cannot be called ‘a documentary’, and it is also not exactly a cultural film. It also differs from an art film, an educational film and a tourist film”, says director Kon Ichikawa, of this musing on Kyoto. Certainly, this is not a film to be shown as travelogue, or introduction to the city, its history and culture or people. It is not even truly a film about Kyoto, but rather, moments in time at locations that happen to be in Kyoto, flitting from one to the other.
Perhaps the best manner to enjoy this film is through the perspective of Zen Buddhism, which is part of the focus of the director’s lens – unhurried, appreciating each moment, embracing the quiet. As a work of art, the film is superlative and emphasizes the technical expertise that Ichikawa is known for. Focusing on forms and lines, textures and details of landscape and form, each frame is a photograph. Roof tiles and fences become artistic representation. Floorboards convert into abstract lines of dark and light. Each view is thoughtfully framed, each detail carefully portrayed, reflecting the aesthetic and beauty in Japanese practices and life. We are forced to slow our pace as we take in each scene, whether it is the beauty of the snow falling in the Ryoanji Temple garden or the autumn leaves glimmering in the sunlight. Glimpses into the rituals of Buddhist monks on one hand and a young maiko on the other intensifies this meditative quality.
A central component is the powerful representation of the natural elements in Japanese landscape architecture and garden design, and of wabi sabi, the Japanese philosophy that accepts and embraces transience and imperfection.
While entitled “Kyoto”, the film is really a reflection of the Japanese aesthetic in every aspect of art and life, snippets of which make the viewer wish for more. In many ways, even with its spare framework, the film is indeed inspirational to the documentarian, the artist, the philosopher, the student and the tourist. However, the sparse content might leave some viewers feeling dissatisfied.