Geisha: An Artist's Journey

Enter the beautiful and enigmatic world of the geisha as seen through the eyes of Japanese-American performance artist Shizumi Shigeto Manale.

Featuring the eclectic music of acclaimed shamisen player Honjoh Hidetaro, Geisha: An Artist's Journey is a sumptuous visual and musical account of Shizumi's return to Japan. Exploring the roots of her artistic inspiration, she wanders the back alleys of Tokyo and visits the exclusive tea houses of Kyoto in search of the ancient beauty that is the heart of the geisha culture. Shizumi is welcomed into places very few people can go, and sees things only a select few can see. Along the way she meets geisha of all ages, teahouse owners, artists, geisha followers, and many others. What she discovers is her own connection, artistically and personally, with the dual nature of the geisha world. Like geisha, who delicately weave reality and fantasy, Shizumi lives between two cultures: east and west. This duality is explored in her dance piece titled "geisha."

Combining music, documentary and performance, Geisha: An Artist's Journey offers a multifaceted glimpse into the world of the geisha, and paints a parallel portrait of an artist struggling to find her artistic and personal identity.