Slowing down in a hyper-accelerated world: reflecting on analog culture from a Japanese philosophical perspective in 'Perfect Days'

Resumo

In contemporary times, there is much talk about the accelerated pace at which we live and how this impacts the way we coexist in the world. In this article, our goal is to discuss the extent to which it is possible to reflect on modes of deceleration through Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days. To this end, in the first section, we discuss the importance of slowing down and Japanese philosophy, demonstrating how some concepts of the Japanese way of life converge with counterproductive practices. In the second section, we specifically analyze the extent to which the analog culture represented in Perfect Days can break with the logic of productivity and exaggerated growth through simple, infraordinary practices. Finally, we emphasize that pondering on simpler, more ritualized ways of life can also invite us to live a slower, more fulfilling life.