The Cinematheque

VIFF 2021

Hyperlink cinema gets a shot in the arm in this fluid glance at the lives of 13 characters, each of whose diverse lives and problems diverge and converge with all the exuberance, anxieties, and untrammeled emotionalism of youth. Takeshi Maruyama’s direction trains an honest and empathetic lens on every lost soul—a lovelorn street musician, an arrogant but insecure star of the photography world, a pair of teenagers locked in debate and fantasy over how they ought to die—as they fight through pressures from within and without. In the tradition of cinema’s best multi-story sprawls, the diverse experiences and seemingly freeform structure nonetheless coalesces into a whole, and from angst and disparity, an interpersonal unity emerges. As Maruyama weaves his camera freely between stories, this tightly-crafted ensemble piece captures the pains of growth and the possibilities of compassion in both its structure and its intimate personal insights.

Cast: Yuki Kura, Toko Miura, Hiroya Shimizu, Rikako Yagi, Nino Furuhata, Yuzu Aoki

Gateway: Journey into the cinematic reaches of East Asia with some of the world’s most compelling storytellers as your guides.