JFF23: The Lines That Define Me

Synopsis

After witnessing Sōsuke’s first intimate encounter with a sumi-e painting, ink-painting master Kozan Shinoda spontaneously invites him to become his pupil and introduces him to the delicate, emotional power of bleeding ink. Overcome by the recent loss of his family, the chance gradually offers Sōsuke a new path by which to ruminate on the dichotomising beauty of nature and ritualise his grief and self-expression.
Stunningly captured, the tempo of the strokes and their delivery invigorate the sumi-e performances, offering a window into the traditional intergenerational sensibilities of Japanese artistic disciplines. More than just a form of art, the paintings are breathed to life as they draw from the artist’s spirit and from the plants and seasons they portray. A true test of relationships and self-integrity, The Lines That Define Me is a moving call towards art’s ability to transcend physical form.