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| DVD Available from Inspirita.org |
Years ago, I learned that
the measure of true Art of anything -- from dance to ritual, from cooking to
writing -- is whether there has been a transformative experience on the part of
creator and (if any) "audience". One might even say that when there
is a merging of the witnesses (including the artist as participant observer)
with that which is created, then Creativity is underway.
Is it possible to have that
experience by witnessing the creative process virtually, i.e. once removed by
the mediating veil of recording or once-again-telling? Of course! The
"entertainment" industry is built upon this "reality".
Thus, I am applauding (with
a silent bow) the recent film Sen
Shin An: The Other World of Tea for leaving me not only refreshed as if I just had a bowl of tea, but
also for moving me so far as to leave the comfort of the viewer's chair and set out my dogu to enact a temae to create that bowl of tea.
Mitigating the suspension
of tealeaf particles in hot water within a set time period is the mark of a
successful temae. Likewise, an artfully made film distributes the ideas and
images of its essence throughout the period of time during which you engage the
audience. Sen Shin An does this
very well.
Produced by Inspirita in 2011 in a gorgeous Kyoto autumn, its sections run from the didactic
principles, such as wa, kei, sei, jaku, into a chaji hosted by Bruce Hamana, sensei. Bruce has been employed
by the Kokusaibu (foreign division) of the Urasenke Foundation for several
decades and is usually seen surrounded by Midorikai (foreign school) students
at a formal outing or at his busy desk. I admit that I didn't recognize him as
the kimono-clad teishu of the scenes of the chaji, being prompted only at the
end in the credits. Seeing him at peace (even filmed!) pouring water is lovely.
People new to chanoyu
always ask me if there is a special occasion during which tea is presented
formally in Japan. Of course, the answer is "ichi go ichi e", i.e. Only THIS Moment ... every day is a good day!
The film’s artistry is that
it sets up the final, seemingly austere, segment in the tearoom by inviting the viewer to
witness the every day busy-ness of Japan in the same mind-set. The
mise-en-scene removes the expectation that something very complex -- dare I say, important, mysterious, etc.? -- is happening,
something that many other films do in an attempt to echo the power of chanoyu
in Japanese cultural history.
In
fact, nothing more than just simply making tea is occurring. The complexity, if
well inculcated on the part of the host, is nowhere to be “seen” by the guest.
The value of this short
(67:39) film is that it captures the spirit of tea and shares it “just” so.
Whatever history or cultural nuance are behind the experience, it has been
whisked into a lovely frothy (Urasenke style!) bowl of usucha.
Stewart Wills, the film’s
director, notes, “Although there may be various technical points of interest to
followers of Tea, the film did not set out to be an instruction manual. Rather
it strove to convey the inner spirit of Tea.” I wonder why the point was made
about “instruction manual”.
When I began my chado
study, I was admonished not to take any video of the okeiko, the class. One
learns by observing, a fellow student pointed out. For one not able to
understand Japanese, and thus (still) having little reference support than the
now defunct Chanoyu Journal, I
settled into the reality that I needed to improve my observation skills and to
be careful not to practice only what my memory allowed, which was often
incorrect. Later, Urasenke produced an expensive set of videos
(still not in English) of the basic procedures and others that augment the
famed “green books” (Japanese only) that showed step-by-step how-tos for the
temaes. So, I can see why students may lament the lack of such a didactic film.
(Urasenke’s Tankosha Publishing arm now produces a few more English-language
books of the basics of the practice.)
On the other-hand, today
YouTube and so many other sources of moving media are full of “Japanese tea
ceremony” pieces. With the significantly more widespread availability of matcha
(although, aside from specific well-crafted brands, usually not very good) and
a mail-order chasen (the whisk), anyone can make a bowl of tea with a few
trials.
