Slightest Pretense

Eri Saito / Japan / 2025 / European Premiere / 15 min.

synopsis

The narrator of the posthumously published semi-autobiographical short story Haguruma (Spinning Gears, 1927) by Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892–1927) wanders through a city haunted by headaches, fleeting apparitions, feelings of guilt, and resignation. Filmed on Super 8 mm, the film transforms the suffocating atmosphere of the text into several silent scenes in which the hero wanders through the suburban landscape. The camera's gaze is gradually overtaken by an all-pervading horror.

“This piece was created as part of my residency at Fujisawa City Art Space under the ‘Artists in FAS 2024’ program, where I was conducting research on migraines. By chance, I discovered that Akutagawa had spent his final years in Kugenuma, Fujisawa, for treatment, and that several of his works, including The Mirage, were written there. The unexpected connection between the physical phenomenon of migraines, Akutagawa's literature, and the place I was working in became the guiding influence for the direction of the work.” — Eri Saito

Source: Eri Saito

biography

Eri Saito (b. 1991) is an artist and author of a number of experimental films, videos, and installations. She presents her work at international film festivals and exhibitions. In her older film Social Circles (2023), she explores the fragility and complexity of interpersonal dialogue, while in the video installation accompanied by essays Quietly There (2023), she turns to the memory and traces that linger in the shadows of Tokyo.