In Praise of Shadows

Catherine Martin / Canada / 2023 / European Premiere / 86 min.

synopsis

Inspired by Junichiro Tanizaki's literary essay of the same name, the film is a visual ode to the shadow and its perceived marginality and necessity for living in the light. In traditional Japanese houses, there are spaces dedicated to the sun and places shrouded in the cover of darkness. The form of shadow is modelled by means of permeable materials, deliberate obstructions, or even candle flames, so different from Western mass-produced products. The transformation of shadows with the movement and intensity of light is analogized by the director to celluloid photography and film. Unlike modern digital technology, they are also subject to change as the passage of time affects their chemical stability. Without the shadows cast on the projection screen, we would not be able to watch this film either, reliving a feeling already familiar to prehistoric cavemen sitting around a campfire.

“Fleeting shadows ebb and flow in a glistening half-light, an enchanted dreamlike state that reflects on our place in the world, the passage of time, and the very essence of life and its fragility.”

Quote source: F3M

biography

Catherine Martin (1958) is a Canadian filmmaker who works in fiction and documentary. Her films have won awards at festivals around the world. Since 2017, she has been creating exclusively original documentary essays, for which she is usually also producer, director, cinematographer, sound designer and editor.

more about film

director:	Catherine Martin
producer:	Catherine Martin
script:	Catherine Martin
photography:	Catherine Martin
editing:	Catherine Martin
music:	Robert Marcel Lepage
sound design:	Simon Gervais