Co-presented by the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities
In the northern Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, there is an abundance of cenotes - underground springs that flow into caves. In the ancient Mayan empire, these were the only source of water, and they were also where ceremonies were held to pray for rain. This film tells the story of the people, past and present, whose lives intersect with the cenotes, which are believed to be the connection between this world and the next. Swimming fish, children, elders, festivals, bull fights, faces... In this bewitching film of light and darkness, flowing together with the water we hear the echoes of ancient memories, the voices of spirits, and lines from ancient Mayan plays.
TRT: 75 min
In person: Kaori Oda
"One of the ten best films of 2020." —Jonathan Rosenbaum
"One of the foremost practitioners of immersive documentary filmmaking." —Ryan Swen, Screen Slate
"Cenote, which explores the borders between imagination and reality, nature and humanity, life and death, is about as culturally borderless as a film can be." —Mark Schilling, The Japan Times
"Experiencing her films which so far have all been shot, edited and sound-designed by Oda herself, Oda is clearly a gifted artist but it seems just as true that her work is made to be a gift to the people she worked with." —Aiko Masabuchi, MUBI Notebook
"By thoughtfully playing with the visual potential of these cenotes, Oda creates a kaleidoscopic and truly mesmerizing visual experience. One could even say that her experimental composition succeeds in echoing the otherworldly and the mysterious mythical dimension of these sinkholes." —PV Haecke, Psychocinematography
(Available to download after screening date)