MEGANE めがね

Thursday March 15th, 2018 1:00 PM > Also part of our MARCH BREAK FILMS!

Directed by Naoko Ogigami, 2007

106 minutes, Japanese with English subtitles

It’s early spring and still chilly when Taeko (Kobayashi Satomi) comes to a small seaside town on a southern island for some time off. There is no sightseeing spot on the island and people come here to “twilight”.

Taeko stays at “Hamada”, which is run by Yuji (Mitsuishi Ken) who carries on at his own speed almost to a fault. People of distinctive character seem to gather at “Hamada”, including Sakura (Motai Masako), a mysterious woman who every year comes from somewhere in the early spring, and a high school teacher, Haruna (Ichikawa Mikako), who drops by every day.

There is also this intriguing exercise, Merci taiso, which the residents on the island do as part of their daily routine but only during the spring.

Taeko is bewildered with the life on the island which is completely out the norm for her, but as she spends more time, she begins to blend in with the slow pace on the island. The film portrays the main character who is tired of urban life but begins to look at herself through interaction with people on her trip.

Films also directed by Naoko Ogigami include Close Knit, Rent-A-Cat, Toilet, Kamome Diner, Go Go Haiku Girl and Yoshino’s Barber.

To learn about other films in the DIRECTED BY JAPANESE WOMEN series, click here >