by Danica Pacardo
Yoshiyuki Okuyama is considered one of the top young creatives in Japan today, having an impressive and critically acclaimed portfolio which involves photography, commercials, and music videos.
“At the Bench: Remnants” is his film directorial debut. Initially available on Vimeo last year, Remnants is the first of the five episodes of Okuyama’s anthology scheduled to be shown in Japan this coming November 2024. This lighthearted, healing short feels like a love letter addressed to people in their twenties and thirties who feel left behind and lost, as they navigate their way into adulthood.
Two childhood friends, Riko (Suzu Hirose) and Nori-kun (Taiga Nakano) meet and catch up with each other when Riko learns about the recent demolition of a park which held some of their happy memories. The entire film is shot within a bench, the only remnant of the park which is about to be transformed into a daycare center.
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Viewers will get a glimpse of the two reconnecting and opening up about issues common to people in their late twenties and thirties – experiencing career setbacks, being pressured to be in a relationship and start a family, and reflecting on their life’s decisions.
The director’s first venture in directing films feels like a confident piece of work, thanks to his solid experience in other visual art forms- photography and music videos. It is framed without capturing the entire face of the two protagonists when they are talking. The scenes are composed of either long and medium back shots of them or medium close up shots taken from the side, giving the impression that viewers are just eavesdropping on their conversation. Despite this, even feeling like spectators of the two, one will still feel connected to them, as they listen to Riko and Nori-kun talk about how their lives have been since they started working.
In an interview about the making of the drama “Silent” published on Fuji TV’s website (2022), the same screenwriter of this short film, Miku Ubukata, talked about how she always tries to make the dialogue sound realistic by reflecting on how the characters would express things in certain situations. This conscious effort is reflected in how ”Remnants” was written. The themes are tackled in a subtle manner and in a lighthearted tone, which can make the audience become engaged with the characters’ conversation and feel a sense of hope despite hearing about the leads’ struggles).
Both Hirose and Nagano have strong and charismatic screen presence, and they exhibit great chemistry as friends and even potential lovers in this short. Both actors are praised for their acting talent, particularly on their versatility and ability to show emotions using their eyes alone. These are showcased in this movie. They deliver their lines naturally and can make us believe that they are two longtime friends who are comfortable enough to engage in banter, reminisce about their childhood memories, and sincerely discuss their shared frustration of feeling “leftovers” based on society’s standards, due to their singlehood and career challenges.
If there is anything to complain about this short, I think the audience might want it to be longer than 17 minutes. It’s not because it feels abrupt or anything. Rather, one would want to listen to them more and feel the comfort and hope that these two adults, charmingly portrayed by both actors, were able to articulate and realize. In the end, one would believe that it’s going to be alright for these two. The movie successfully sends the message across that just like the bench, an individual can seem like he/she is falling behind in life, but is just being redirected to serve a new purpose in the midst of changes and development.
