“Peaceful and meditative.”
“Beautifully filmed, aesthetically pleasing, and religiously challenging.”
“An in-depth observation of global awareness.”
“This provocative and rather unconventional film opens up a fascinating corner of Japanese religious practice to a general audience.”
“Finally a documentary that doesn’t berate humans for what we are, but instead offers a doable alternative without judgment.”
Trailer
Alternative version on Youtube.
Synopsis
How does one integrate lessons learned from nature into daily life?
This feature documentary is an experiential journey in to the mystical practices of Japanese mountain asceticism. In Shugendō (The Way of Acquiring Power), practitioners perform ritual actions from shamanism, Shintō, Daoism, and Tantric Buddhism. They seek experiential truth of the teachings during arduous climbs in sacred mountains. Through the peace and beauty of the natural world, practitioners purify the six roots of perception, revitalize their energy and reconnect with their truest nature — all while grasping the fundamental interconnectedness with nature and all sentient beings.
How does one return to the city after an enlightening experience in the mountains?
More poetic than analytical, this film explores how a group of modern Japanese people integrate the myriad ways mountain learning interacts with urban life. With intimate camera work and a sensual sound design the viewer is taken from deep within the Kumano mountains to the floating worlds of Ōsaka and Tokyo and back again.
Might the two be seen as one?
