Oto celebrates the sense of hearing and takes us on a journey through time and space. Thousands of years of knowledge are interwoven with contemporary experiences lived in places both far and near. A meditative journey to find a part of ourselves that we have left behind. A journey in and out of reality to understand how sound is substance, life. For, as an old proverb says, "Everything began with the sound of SU, before there was nothing".

Director's note

Oto is a journey to rediscover the sense of hearing and, through it, that part of reality that we can no longer see. A journey through the practice of listening, so that the spectator can once again see in the dark, without having to search for the light, and feel the touch of the invisible. Thanks to this new sensitivity, the spectator will be able to analyse the human being in relation to the globalised modernity in which he or she lives. We see in Kyotaro and Emiko two perfect examples of modern globalisation. Having grown up in Europe, they return to Japan for various reasons and find that they have lost something: their identity. Their Eastern image does not match their Western sound, creating a sense of alienation that drives them on a quest. In their undoubtedly unique situations, we see the alienation of contemporary man from the nature that surrounds him. We experience identity as belonging to a group, but perhaps it is something more. The complexity of modern reality, in its richness, threatens to make us lose important elements of ourselves.
Kyotaro and Emiko are two perfect examples of modern globalisation. Having grown up in Europe, they return to Japan for various reasons and realise that they have lost something: their identity. Their Eastern image does not match their Western sound, creating a sense of alienation that drives them on a quest. In their undoubtedly unique situations, we see the alienation of contemporary man from the nature that surrounds him. We experience identity as belonging to a group, but perhaps it is something more. The complexity of modern reality, in its richness, threatens to make us lose important elements of ourselves. So how can we reorient ourselves? In a world dominated by the visual and saturated with images, can listening and the invisibility of sound point us in new directions? We believe they can. Our compass on this journey is Mayumi, an elderly woman from Tokyo who has studied the ancient Shinto scriptures since childhood. Mayumi is not only a guide to a past to be rediscovered, but also a figure deeply rooted in the present, able to integrate millennia of knowledge and contemporary reflection. Through her wisdom, she invites us to reconnect with the essence of who we are, to learn to listen to ourselves and to find our truest voice.
The film Oto is the meeting of two directors, two styles and two visions of cinema: a more narrative and observational approach combined with a more abstract and poetic one. Brought together by living abroad, like the protagonists, we know that venturing into a new culture means first and foremost learning the sounds of a language and orienting ourselves in new soundscapes, both internal and external.