Friday, August 07, 2009

El Sur

"El Sur" by the Spanish director Victor Erice is one of my all-time favorite films. In it, el sur ("the south") is depicted as an attractive and mysterious land. In the film, there is a special connotation about the south, as the father of the girl appears to have a mistress in that far-off land.

The film ends as the girl prepares herself for her very first trip to the south, where, hopefully, she would find out her father's secret life.

There is something about the south that is life invigorating. Those were the thoughts as airplane flew southwards from Tokyo, and landed on Saga airport.

I have come to attend a two day session which I chair.

The sunshine on my mother's native island of Kyushu was mild and serene.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the news of a splendid movie.I heard that there was a mysterious legend in the Japanese south. Was it already found?

Utako said...

I like Victor Erice's works very much. His "El Espiritu De La Colmena", this "El Sur", and "El Sol Del Membrillo" are my gems. His piece is a magnet to me with the picturesque overshadowed by Spanish Civil War and thoughtful characters.

I feel attracted to south, and to north. Is it because I long for the difference in the far distance? Probably a body itself will long for the local fresh sunshine.

My father wanted his ashes back on the south ocean. But we haven't performed it yet. Oh,I must put a 1.8 liter bottle of Imo-shochu in front of his portrait during this Bon Festival. He spent half his life drinking.