間 | Unempty Space


 

'間 | Unempty Space' shows how sensitivity can fill someone’s feeling of emptiness inside and help them connect with what is larger than themself. This topic is particularly important currently as many people question what is meaningful in a world where they have lost faith in the system and where climate change is an international emergency. In the 5-minute film, we see my brother lost in a winter landscape. As he observes and connects with his surroundings, the seemingly empty grey space no longer represents a negative void but something full and profound. This notion can relate to the Japanese concept ‘Ma’ which translates to “space between”.

'Ma' is a sense of place in relation to the whole (1). It says emptiness, but it is an emptiness where there is an abundance of energy. This is depicted by its character ‘間’ which refers to the sun in between gates (2). The literal translation “space between” is not a static gap, it is rather the distance that exists between objects as well as between time. It is said to be “the silent pause between musical notes, the shadows between the light streaming through blinds, even the interaction between people, whether they are loved or despised (3).”


With Osric Parry-Canet
Directed by Lucile Parry-Canet
Music credits "Abysses azurées" by Joël Grare

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Official selection Festival Cinema on the Bayou 2023