With the rise of every new technology, the discussion surrounding it often typically shows the kind of black-and-white-thinking we can observe when it comes to other matters such as politics or economy. As there is seems to be little or no middle ground in the argument, the most pressing questions fall under the table, which is more than just a shame since in many of these thoughts lie answers to how we want to live with this progress and how it may change our lives for the better. At the same time, anthropological issues have to be raised because the advent of technologies like A.I. and cloning also results in a changed perspective on what makes us human, on life and death.
“Son of Memory” is screening at CAAMFest Forward
In his short feature “Son of Memory” Japanese director Hayato Ando tackles some of these questions as he tells the story of a couple unable to move forward since the death of their son Yuki. While the husband (Shinji Matsubayashi) wants to move away to give them a chance to start anew, his wife (Sei Ando) is still haunted by the memory of their son, their last moment together as well as the guilt of not being able to tell him how much she loves him. By chance, she comes across the ad of a company offering a particular service for grief-stricken people like them: with the data provided by his parents they can construct a humanoid in Yuki's image. However, there is a catch, after 49 days they will have to give back the humanoid.
Within the 19 minutes of his short, Ando focuses on the relationship drama sparked by the chance to see their son again, even if it is just for a short amount of time. The repetition of a moment with her son before he leaves for school has been haunting his mother for many days now, images which seemed to have crossed the border between dream and reality. In the end, the notion of “spending more time with him” becomes quite strong, whereas her husband has been repressing his grief and overall his feelings concerning their loss, burying himself in his work. Through their argument, Ando presents the dimension of emotional and ethical issues contained in the idea of using technology to re-create a human being.
Another interesting aspect is how Ando's script deals with the now-changed concepts of life and death. In a quite telling statement about his company, a representative states how they used to be a funeral home before utilizing their knowledge and skill in the field of technology to provide a service for people wanting to see their loved ones one last time. Through simple, yet intelligent pieces of dialogues such as this one, Ando points at the drastic re-evaluation of the facts of life, which inevitably follow the creation of a humanoid.
In the end, “Son of Memory” is a blend of drama with science-fiction elements discussing notions of life and death changed through technological progress. Thanks to an intelligent script along with powerful performances, director Hayato Ando manages to create an impactful short feature which provides a lot of provoking questions regarding the facts of life without falling into the trap of giving over-simplified answers.
