Japon – Carlos Reygadas
A painter from the big city goes to a remote canyon to commit suicide. To reach some calmness he stays at the farmstead of Ascen, an old religious woman. Although only a few words are spoken, love grows.
Carlos Reygadas 2002 130 min Mexico
A painter from the big city goes to a remote canyon to commit suicide. To reach some calmness he stays at the farmstead of Ascen, an old religious woman. Although only a few words are spoken, love grows.
Carlos Reygadas (Mexican director, writer, producer) holds a law degree and master’s in International Humanitarian Law, briefly serving in Mexico’s Foreign Service. He co-founded distributor ND-Mantarraya, film school Escuela Superior de Cine, and post-production studio Splendor Omnia.
After 1990s Belgian shorts, his debut Japón (2002) won a Cannes Directors’ Fortnight mention. Battle in Heaven (2005) competed at Cannes, where Silent Light won the Jury Prize (2007) and Post Tenebras Lux won Best Director (2012). Our Time premiered in Venice (2018). He’s preparing Wake of Umbra.
His 2022 essay Presence challenges cinema as representation. He has co-produced films by Dea Kulumbegashvili, Natalia López, Paz Encina, and Hilal Baydarov.