Akiya

| Treasure or Trash
KulturBahnhof Kassel

A reel-to-reel tape recorder plays a song or a prelude to a song, that tells the story of the increasing number of abandoned houses and buildings in Japan. This contemporary story is told in the style of ancient nō, traditional Japanese theatrical form. The work does not show images of uninhabited buildings, but instead serves as a conceptual starting point. The lyrics of the poem are recited in archaic Muromachi period (1333-1573) Japanese. They are based on current newspaper articles and poetic fragments dealing with the theme, giving character and personality to the voice we hear. The work is shot on 35mm film consisting only a single shot. The song is associated with the machine rather than the human. The performer becomes a machine and the machine becomes a performer. The work creates a future mythology or a dialogue between past and present by juxtaposing the traditional storytelling form with a contemporary interpretation of the current phenomenon of desolate houses.(Jonna Kina)

  • Duration: 5 Min.
  • Countries: Japan
  • Languages: English, Japanese
  • Subtitles: English
  • Production year: 2020

  • Director: Jonna Kina
  • Sound: Jonahan Fuhrer, Juan de Dios Magdaleno