Where mountains fly
Director roth sandra
Countries Switzerland
Duration 60 min
Synopsis
In 538 AD, a mountain flew over from India to land in Japan. The arrival of Mt Ômine in the Kii peninsula is a metaphor for the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. "Where Mountains Fly" takes you deep into Japanese sacred mountains by way of two narratives: a legend dating back to the 12th c. AD, and contemporary religious practices in the mountains. The legendary narrative follows the path of En-no-gyôja, the alledged founder of Shugendô, the "Way of Practicing Magical Powers", on his pilgrimage through the Kii peninsula. This part of the film, inspired by emaki (Japanese picture scrolls), is made of animated images. Using real landscapes as source material, the animation recreates the extraordinary adventures of En-no-gyôja. The fictional episodes are intertwined with documentary episodes bearing testimony to the use of these sacred mountains by various contemporary Shugendô practicioners: meditation under waterfalls, sûtra recitation, pilgrimages through forests and mountains, and fasts that may lead to death. "Where Mountains Fly" mingles documentary with fiction in an entirely novel way. The universe it introduces, filled with nature and mystery, takes you along mountain paths to little known aspects of Japanese cultures.
In 538 AD, a mountain flew over from India to land in Japan. The arrival of Mt Ômine in the Kii peninsula is a metaphor for the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. "Where Mountains Fly" takes you deep into Japanese sacred mountains by way of two narratives: a legend dating back to the 12th c. AD, and contemporary religious practices in the mountains. The legendary narrative follows the path of En-no-gyôja, the alledged founder of Shugendô, the "Way of Practicing Magical Powers", on his pilgrimage through the Kii peninsula. This part of the film, inspired by emaki (Japanese picture scrolls), is made of animated images. Using real landscapes as source material, the animation recreates the extraordinary adventures of En-no-gyôja. The fictional episodes are intertwined with documentary episodes bearing testimony to the use of these sacred mountains by various contemporary Shugendô practicioners: meditation under waterfalls, sûtra recitation, pilgrimages through forests and mountains, and fasts that may lead to death. "Where Mountains Fly" mingles documentary with fiction in an entirely novel way. The universe it introduces, filled with nature and mystery, takes you along mountain paths to little known aspects of Japanese cultures.