The Inland Sea
In 1971, author as well as film scholar Donald Richie published a poetic travelogue about his expeditions of the islands of Japan's Inland Sea, recording his look for traces of a standard way of life along with his own journey of self-discovery. Twenty years later on, filmmaker Lucille Carra took on a parallel trip motivated by Richie's by-then-classic book, capturing pictures of hushed beauty as well as meeting people who still continued the fading customs that Richie had actually observed. Intermixed with unexpected detours-- a browse through to a Frank Sinatra-- caring monk, a leper swarm, an ersatz holy place of plywood and plaster-- and woven with each other by Richie's narration along with a score by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu, The Inland Sea is an eye-opening voyage and also a profound reflection on what it implies to be an immigrant.