Synopsis
In Japan’s Himuro Valley, Akeji and Asako seem to have lived forever in a hermitage, surrounded by animals and the spirits of nature. Season after season, Asako gathers plants to transform into pigments, while Akeji prays and devotes himself to painting. The cycle of nature appears unchanging. Yet time crackles, and reality eventually catches up with them…
A word from Tënk
"No one has ever seen time, no one knows if it exists."
Akeji recites poems. He speaks in aphorisms. Day after day, he repeats the same gestures. Yet, amidst the sweeping landscapes captured in cinemascope—where mist vies with forest, and moss gathers on stone statues—fatigue and illness slowly begin to overtake the samurai's wife. Asako can no longer stay in the isolated home where they have always lived. Suddenly, the city, the noise of its traffic, and the hospital corridors appear. This contrast brings out even more the beauty revealed by the lives of these two elderly sages.
A film whose delicacy leaves a lasting impression, like calligraphy on fragile paper. When winter comes, it is important to leave a few persimmons for the crows and the bears.
Tënk France Editorial team
