8 Views of Lake Biwa

Eight lake views of the Japanese art tradition translated into the language of the longings and desires of Old Believers at Lake Peipus. The Eight Views is an Eastern artistic tradition that describes humans' state of mind through eight poetic motifs, such as evening glow, snow, sails returning in the evening, rain, autumn moon, temple bell, clear breeze, wild geese departing. (In Japan these elements are interpreted primarily in the area surrounding Lake Biwa.) These motifs provide the framework for eight intertwining tragic love stories set at modern Old Believers' fishing villages near Lake Peipus, that stand on the edges of the Estonian-Russian settlements and culture. (The Old Believers are Russians who fled to Estonia because of persecution in Russia in the late 17th century.) The tendency to instil life into all living and lifeless things that stems from Japanese animism, the shunga erotic art and the humble prayer language merge into the spiritual and magical world of a small community. One where people still believe they are connected to the universe.