“From The Bottom of The Vortex” is a 2016 LGBT+ short film about the difficulty of sharing feelings, particularly when they don't conform with a common idea of “normality”, written and directed by Kozue Nomoto.
From The Bottom of The Vortex is streaming on TodoiF
Kiko (Sayaka Hashimoto) is in love with her best friend Rii (Izumi Okamura). We see her at the opening of the film, observing tenderly her friend asleep and maybe meditating about revealing her feelings to her. However, Rii is the first to admit she has something to confess; she has been seeing someone and they have just moved in a flat together. Kiko, barely manages to look happy for her friend, but when Rii leaves, she breaks down and decides not to see her again. Driven by desperation, she even tries to seduce her sleezy neighbour, aka “the call girl guy”, in an attempt to force herself to experience a taste of what she thinks Rii is looking for; an ordinary life, a boyfriend, getting married, having children.
As a last move, Kiko arranges a meeting with Rii. She wants a closure and is going to give her a brief letter where she confesses her love and close with her for ever. But once again, she is shocked to discover that Rii has even more surprising news for her. What the friend reveals to her is something that leaves Kiko full of remorse, sadness, and confusion.
This early work from director Kozue Nomoto is a remarkably written and well-paced drama about love, regrets, and the frustration and fear of expressing love. Communicating feelings of love and care is – for several reasons – always difficult. The fear of exposing yourself to a rejection is only one reason why talking about feelings can be so challenging. The modesty in showing your bear soul, the worry of looking vulnerable and the fear of commitment; all this can be paralyzing, even more so when it happens dealing with a same-sex love interest, where social expectations and stigmas enter the picture.
These topics are explored in Kiko's emotional rollercoaster ride that starts very early in “From The Bottom of The Vortex” and is unlike to finish after “The End”. Definitely not a good period for Kiko; one twist after the other, she hasn't got a chance to give herself time to fully process what she's feeling before taking any action. As reminded by the title, at the bottom of the vortex the centripetal force is greater, and Kiko is spinning out of control. However, the story ends on a positive note, focusing on the invaluable essence of a sincere friendship.
Fertility – and consequently maternity – is intertwined with the story, using a strong visual language and the cubicle claustrophobia of menstrual duty. It is a very early stage in the lives of both Kiko's and Rii's to think about it, but it is a lurking presence, mainly in the form of a paragon of conformity. Maternity is a theme that will be developed and expanded by director Nomoto in her later, more recent work “My Sorry Life”.
Shot mainly in nocturnal mode, “From The Bottom of The Vortex” depicts a moody and deeply uncomfortable phase of Kiko's life and the photography follows suit with natural but desaturated shots. Chopin's Nocturne score aptly completes the picture, even though a less obvious music choice would have given a more personal touch. Sayaka Hashimoto carries the film on her shoulders with the right amount of surprise and melancholia; she is an interesting and characterful cast.
All in all, “From The Bottom of The Vortex” is a well-directed poignant story, a remarkable debut for director Nomoto.
