Though Technically a Documentary, the Film May Give Prospective Viewers the Wrong Idea With That Label

Nao Yoshigai's experimental documentary "Masayume" blends meditation, autobiography and bodily humor into an unconventional meditation on healing and acceptance, offering a quietly profound counterpoint to this year's more traditional Zen cinema. The debut feature from filmmaker and dancer Yoshigai arrives as a strong competitor to Tetsuichiro Tsuta's Buddhist parable "Black Ox, released in January, which many thought would be the most perfectly Zen movie of the year. "Masayume" challenges that assumption with its rich, entrancing approach.

Though technically a documentary, the film may give prospective viewers the wrong idea with that label. Yoshigai works on the experimental fringes of nonfiction filmmaking, much like her sometime collaborator Kaori Oda ("Cenote), who shares camera duties on this project.