Ito - A Diary of an Urban Priest
111 minutes | Canadian Premiere | Rating: 14A
From the director of the award-winning The 3 Rooms of Melancholia, this visually stunning piece follows the intimate journey of Yoshinobu Fujioka, a young, guitar-playing former boxer turned Buddhist priest on his fervent search for meaning among the disenchanted and troubled denizens of Tokyo. The film subtly evokes Fujioka’s quest through a series of hypnotic conversations he has with various confessors, bar patrons, and religious colleagues: a convicted killer at a women’s penitentiary, his former boxing coach, and a man who lost his faith after the death of his mother, to name a few. Fujioka is earnest and open during these encounters; his longing for personal connection is tangible. Dark and expressive, Ito is as mesmerizing as it is emotionally compelling. - Shannon Abel
Subjects :
Media Coverage
Globe and Mail (4-Star Capsule Review), NOW Magazine (4-star Review), About.com (Capsule Review), Torontoist (Capsule Review)
Director(s)
Pirjo Honkasalo
Producer(s)
Kristiina Pervilä
Writer(s)
Pirjo Honkasalo
Miikka Pölkki
Cinematographer(s)
Pirjo Honkasalo F.S.C.
Marita Hällfors F.S.C.
Editor(s)
Pirjo Honkasalo
Sound
Joonas Jyrälä
Miia Nevalainen
Panu Riikonen
Kozo Hosomi
