The Inland Sea
In 1971, author and film scholar Donald Richie published a poetic travelogue concerning his expeditions of the islands of Japan's Inland Sea, taping his search for traces of a traditional lifestyle in addition to his own journey of self-discovery. Twenty years later, filmmaker Lucille Carra took on an identical journey motivated by Richie's by-then-classic book, capturing pictures of hushed appeal as well as conference people that still continued the fading customs that Richie had actually observed. Intermixed with shocking detours-- a browse through to a Frank Sinatra-- caring monk, a leper swarm, an ersatz holy place of plywood and plaster-- and also woven together by Richie's narration along with a score by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu, The Inland Sea is a mind-blowing voyage as well as an extensive meditation on what it suggests to be an immigrant.