The Shore of Empathy [Director/ Taichi ISHIKAWA]

Synopsis

A woman betrayed by her fiancé’s affair, impulsively murders her unfaithful partner’s lover – her own roommate.

She stuffs the lifeless body into a suitcase and sets off by car, determined to cast it to the depths of the sea.

But as she drives, the supposedly dead woman crawls out of the suitcase.

“I went through all the trouble of killing you. Couldn’t you at least stay dead.”
“Looks like the saying, “Dead men tell no tales” doesn’t apply to me.”

As the two begin to unleash their pent up frustrations, they start untangling threads of memory that twist, clash and converge.

KODANSHA Cinema Creators’ Lab. 2nd winning short film pitch.

From Director

One strange night, a drive becomes the“turning point”in the lives of two women.
Past the point of no return, their car races toward the shore, as time and perspective come and go like the tides.

Empathy is imagining the thoughts and feelings of others by asking, “If I were in their place, what would I see, what would I feel?”

Each of us gazes at the world through the lens of our own lives, and sadly, these visions rarely converge.
Yet, it is precisely because of this that we must never stop imagining.
As a man directing a film with women as the protagonists, this effort was continuously vital.
Within the surreal, the nonsensical twists of a narrative shaped by my love for genre films, I sought to express a heartfelt wish:
that these two women might once more learn to care for each other, and find a place where they could turn back.

The skills and energy of the cast and crew truly shine through in this film. At the same time, I feel that I’ve been able to create a film that reflects my personal vision and creativity. I am deeply grateful to everyone who patiently supported me and listened to my selfish requests until the very end.
A film is only completed when it’s seen by an audience, so I would be thrilled if as many people as possible came to watch it.

I can’t wait to take you all to that shore!

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