The documentary The Pavilion On The Water is a cinematic journey into the world of Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa and his passion for Japanese culture.
Japan, to him, was an inspirational universe but also the place where he eventually died in 1978, at the height of his career, while retracing the steps of wandering poet Matsuo Bashō. Through the words of Japanese philosopher Ryosuke Ōhashi, the lm unfolds and quests after the sense of beauty. It is the possibility of reflecting on this matter that brings together Scarpa’s work and Japanese traditional aesthetic.
Venice, the West’s gateway to the East as well as Scarpa’s birthplace, and a cinematic look at the architect’s work jointly represent the chance to evoke aspects of his life through the words of his son Tobia, his former students and collaborators and researcher J.K. Mauro Pierconti.
A nostalgic feeling permeates the whole film. Nostalgia for that rare event which is the birth of an artist. Although he passed away, he left behind a great and beautiful body of work that, still to this day, delights and amuses.
