Viewers seeking to while away five minutes and 47 seconds might like to join the many who have already seen the video Accidental Discoveries and Unexpected Pleasures. Noted screenwriter and author Robert Whiting writes, in a review exclusively for this blog, ‘Outstanding piece of film making. The lighting and cinematography are first rate. And so is the acting. The guy who plays Peter Miller really nails his character, avoiding the temptation to overact. The opening scene, in which the sound of footsteps can be heard in a deserted bamboo grove, builds anticipation and suspense in a way that is reminiscent of Steven Spielberg’s finest work.’ High praise indeed, but we won’t let it go to our head. Cast and crew will redouble their effort to make the sequel a worthy successor.
The video Accidental Discoveries and Unexpected Pleasures (偶然な発見と楽しみ) reveals how fleeting visions of light and shadow are transformed into ink on paper, through the magic of photogravure etching. Filmed in Kamakura’s bamboo temple of Hokokuji (報国寺), and in my workshop, the video interweaves hands-on demonstrations of how the prints are made with answers to questions like: ‘Why go to all this trouble?’, ‘What’s the difference between a photogravure etching and a conventional photo?’. See the video for my take on these and other mysteries.