SUMO: Spirit Weighs Nothing (2015)

Name: SUMO: Spirit Weighs Nothing (2015)
Start: 2026-11-15T16:45:00+02:00
End: 2026-11-15T23:59:59+02:00
Location: Kino Sõprus

Kino Soprus

0 25

2026-11-15 16:45 12 d. 20 h. left Vana-Posti tn 8, Tallinn, 10146, EE, Estonia 4,95–9,90 (EUR)

PÖFF 30

Tokyos, Sakaigawa treeningmajas, algab uus aasta nagu iga eelmine. Koidikul liiva peal vaikuses, kus kõlab ainult kehade kokkupõrge. Kolm meest on samal teekonnal eri kohtades. Teismeline Yonezawaryu on just saabunud. Ta näeb esimest korda, mida see sport kehaga teeb, ja hakkab kahtlema, kas ta tahab üldse jääda. 24-aastane Hiradoumi on tõusev täht, kellele pannakse terve Jaapani lootus. Terunofuji on 33-aastane mongoollane, ainus tegutsev *yokozuna* ja kümnekordne meister. Terunofuji tõdeb, et sumoga lühendab ta oma elu kümne kuni kahekümne aasta võrra. Kas on mõtet jätkata või jääb järgmine turniir tema viimaseks?

Dokumentalist Erik Shirai on pääsenud maailma, kuhu kaameraga tavaliselt sisse ei lasta. Ta filmib seda nagu pühamut: kontrastne mustvalge ja teepruun seepia, kehad valguses nagu skulptuurid, aeglus, milles on näha, kui palju üks tõuge endas hõlmab. See on film austusest nii spordi kui ka kogu selle kultuuri vastu. Just selles ongi tema jõud. Ta vaatab meestele otsa hetkel, mil nad ka ise ei tea, kas enam jaksavad.

Mikk Granström

The Japanese sport of Sumo goes back centuries, and its wrestlers (rikishi) are more than just athletes. Marked by their heavyweight physique, topknot hairstyle, and traditional garb (mawashi), they epitomize aspects of Japan’s premodern culture and Shinto beliefs and rituals. This exquisitely crafted documentary follows a group of Sumo wrestlers at different stages of their careers – from one veteran champion to several rising newcomers – as they strive to become the best and toss their opponents to the ground or outside the ring.

Filmmaker Erik Shirai (“The Birth of Saké”, 2015) returns with another luminous snapshot of a Japanese tradition elevated from the material to the spiritual. The film’s muted color palette and superb compositions imbue the proceedings with an elegance and timelessness befitting its centuries-old subject matter. Closely observing the wrestlers’ strict training protocols and daily routines (which include lots of rice-eating), the film brings to life the visceral experience and high-stakes suspense of the ancient sport.