Long distance relationships are hard work, but in this nomadic lifestyle we all have come to fall for, it is also a necessity, albeit often just temporal. Will we ever get used to this taxing reality? Will our body and mind be able to stay together, or is it a long-distance relationship even between them? Mongolian directress Zoljargal Purevdash, inspired by her personal experience, has tried to switch the light on the matter in this short slice-of-life film jocosely called “Naked Bulb”.
Naked Bulb is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The opening scene shows a passionate kiss in the lift, but unfortunately our protagonist is only an embarrassed bystander. The young woman (Nomin Batbayar) shares her days between her daughter and her writing job in her semi-empty apartment. That emptiness, however, is more related to her absent husband than to a lack of furniture. In fact, he is working in South Korea and his only almost-ghostly appearances are on the screen of the phone for his daily video-calls. On the long run, this absence is turning aching and burdensome, if not intensely physical. When the bathroom light-bulb keeps blowing despite her attempts to fix it, the landlord (Tamir Narmandakh) shows up at the door, invading the empty space of her mind with his masculinity.
Delicate and quietly ironic, “Naked Bulb” is a gem of subtlety and measure. Managing to stay well away from the easy stereotypes of lonely needy women and masculine builder heroes, the narrative focuses on the all too human desire of physical contact, not necessarily sex, but yes, even sex. A great deal of physicality, intimacy and companionship is sacrificed in a geographical separation and it hits hard on the mind. Staying focused and loyal is difficult when longing for an embrace or a bit of skin.
Not accidentally, it's the very bathroom bulb that fails the woman. What should be her place of privacy and intimacy is now dark and challenging and she can't fix it alone. The honest and at the same time crude scene of her having to pee with the door open says all, really!
Sideways, “Naked Bulb” also highlights the struggle of countries where opportunities for working and studying (well experienced by the director, who majored in film in Japan) are to be searched abroad or even just in the capital city. Many films and documentaries have stressed before the alienating effects of separated families, especially on children, but not many have emphasised the sadness of missing cuddles.
After this promising third short film, shot on a small budget in a very naturalistic mode and full of emotions and symbolisms, we can only look forward to Zoljargal's upcoming first feature, “If Only I Could Hibernate”, which was selected at Talents Tokyo where it won the top award and also earned her a grant from Next Masters Support program.
