Ariel Uzal & Julieta Caputo
Principia, gravitational limbo
5:00
2018
Since 1908 São Paulo city (Brazil) has hosted the largest population of Japanese people outside Japan. In São Paulo, Japanese cinema was first appreciated in the West World, and films by today masters like Yasujiro Ozu (1903-1963) were praised in São Paulo almost at the same time they were released in Japan. «An Autumn Afternoon» (Sanma no Aji, 1962) was the last film directed by Ozu and it was released in Brazil under the poetic title of «A Rotina tem seu Encanto» (The Routine has its Charm), which is a perfect title for all the entire film work made by the Wizard of Ozu. Literally, “Sanma no Aji” means “The Taste of Sanma” (sanma is a very typical japanese fish, for the daily quotidian). Literally, this film poem’s title («A Rotina terá seu Enquanto») would be “The Routine will have its Meanwhile”. Its original title plays with the pun meanings of “Encanto” (charm) and “Enquanto” (meanwhile). This film haiku poem pays tribute to what may be regarded as the quintessential Ozu film testament (about Japan in post war, militarism, broken family), composing with elements of “Sanma no Aji” and images of its making of (Ozu directing some shots on the set), as well as with original footage shot in 2018 during a train trip between the cities of Ouro Preto and Mariana (Minas Gerais, state of Brazil) and during a sun rising in the city of Salvador (Bahia, Brazil).
