The Mountain of Signs (2003)

• 73%
• 2003
• Mika Johnson

A young woman moves to Tokyo. Her quest to find spiritual values hidden in the modern city leads her to take photographs and ends in a pilgrimage to a remote cemetery in the mountains. Shot amongst the neon lights and crowds of Tokyo and the ancient graves and forestry in the Buddhist monastery town of Koyasan, The Mountain of Signs is a film homage to the essay form of zuihitsu in traditional Japanese literature. Its nameless female protagonist illustrates her surroundings through a diaristic monologue that combines poetry and philosophy. Directed by Mika Johnson, The Mountain of Signs assimilates still photography and archival film footage to construct a work of stylized auteur film and autobiography. Its soundtrack features music by Justin Simon and underground folk-improv musician Chie Mukai.