The Light of Spring (2022)

The story begins with a little boy named Syui, a cheerful child who is focussed on going to a museum with his father. Unbeknownst to him, when he returns home, his mother and sister will be gone as his parents have decided to separate. We get a glimpse of what happens to Syui and his family during this period. In his latest film, FUJIKAWA Fumito (The Name of the Whale (2015), winner of the Audience Award at the 2015 Pia Film Festival) presents a dramamentary shot in the suburbs of Tokyo with a real-life family of four acting out the split. With no script to work from and naturalistic performances from the Hirabuki family based on their everyday lives, FUJIKAWA and his non-professional cast give us an honest snapshot of contemporary city life in Japan in a light but absorbing experience.