“Sitting at an Angle” is a student project by Ayaka Kishi supported by the School of Fundamental Science and Engineering at Waseda University. Produced with an amateur crew, Kishi's directorial debut tells a story about loss and convergence. Under the supervision of Hirokazu Koreeda (“Shoplifters” 2018) and Makoto Shinozaki (“Okaeri” 1995) the film explores the life of Tatsunori (Tomohiko Kiyota), who lives together with his mother-in-law Nobuki (Tomoko Takama) after he lost his wife, Haru. Marked by her sudden death, their already distant relationship is challenged and both of them look ahead into an unknown future.
Sitting at an Angle screened at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival
Without further introduction, the plot begins as typical as it gets in Japanese cinema. At a dinner table. Facing each other, trying to hide the malaise, and unable to speak about their feelings of grief, the protagonist exhibit clear signs of discomfort. Haru, the missing link between them and in this scene, is replaced by an empty seat, is gone forever. The conversation turns to the topic of food, which becomes a common ground and also a catalyst for their memories of Haru.
The camera captures these gentle moments in long shots and tries to frame the characters, which comes off shaky at times. Some angles appeal sloppy and disturb the noble intention of capturing the atmosphere. Since the whole movie is almost entirely shot inside the house, the audience gets access to a very private surrounding and Kishi tries to show us that there are things behind the public facade that are invisible in daily life. Nevertheless, the dramatic climax does not shine through the routine that the film presents us.
In times of quarantines, “Sitting at an Angle” strikes a chord, though. It reminds the viewer of the claustrophobic situation to be stuck with another person indoors. Living together under special conditions can be a test for many relationships, no matter if long-term or not. Although the short does not refer to the Covid situation, it is surely a way to look at it. Little things become more important and the film does highlight those things. Starting from a very promising outline, Ayaka Kishi shows the proven ingredients of a successful Japanese filmmaker, with only a little need for improvement. The episodic slice-of-life structure fits the unagitated way of directing and is sustained by two great lead actors.
