I Am Lost to the World

"I am lost to the world..." (Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen...), the title is quoted from a poem by Friedrich Rückert. This German romanticist poet wrote of the sadness of disappearance. An anonymous amateur cineaste shot some scenes in Kyoto in 1934. This footage has since suffered from typical vinegar syndrome (Hydrolysis) resulting from improper storage. The films were falling into decay and would probably eventually disintegrate without being seen again by anyone. "Film" is not a immortal document, but a vanishing existence. The film which we can know may be merely slight.