On May 1st, the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival opened. The opening film, <All of the Dawn> by Sho Miyake, one of the Japanese New Wave directors attracting global attention, is highly anticipated. Director Sho Miyake previously visited the 20th Jeonju International Film Festival in 2019 with <And Your Bird Can Sing>. He shared his thoughts on returning to Jeonju after five years. “I am very happy to be back in Jeonju. At that time, I felt that there were many people who loved movies in Jeonju. Not only the audience but also all the staff seemed to love and respect films. I want to take that atmosphere and inspiration with me again this time.” Here are the reviews of <All of the Dawn> from the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival along with words from Director Sho Miyake.
A woman stands in the pouring rain, soaked to the skin. Her strength gives out, and she collapses. Fujisawa (Kamishiraishi Mone) suffers severely from premenstrual syndrome (PMS). When the cycle comes each month, she cannot control her body and emotions. When uncontrollable irritation and anger surge, someone around her inevitably becomes her scapegoat. Despite trying every method, her PMS does not improve, leading Fujisawa to change her workplace and environment. She leaves a demanding large corporation for the relatively relaxed Kurita Science, a small company. The people there are generous and kind. Even when her aggressive anger arises, they react calmly and endure with her. However, another man she meets there, Yamazoe, is somewhat strange. He does not interact with other colleagues and chews gum even during work hours. Most annoyingly, the hissing sound every time he twists the cap of a soda bottle is extremely irritating to her ears.
Yamazoe (Matsumura Hokuto) is a new employee who recently joined Kurita Science. He suffers from panic disorder. The days of working at a large corporation, dating his girlfriend, and making plans with friends are long gone. Now, the various plaques in his room seem meaningless, and he no longer has anything he wants to do. While he looks down on the employees of Kurita Science who work without competition or purpose, he considers it a suitable place for himself now. He simply wants to earn the money necessary for peaceful survival. However, his senior, Fujisawa, disrupts his peace. She gives him snacks he doesn't eat and then gets angry over the sound of escaping carbonation. Most importantly, she keeps approaching him after learning about his carefully hidden illness.
A Narrative of Youth Struggling to Live Better
Maiko Seo's novel 「All of the Dawn」 portrays the story of Fujisawa, a woman with PMS, and Yamazoe, a man with panic disorder, in a calm narrative style. The original work, which alternates between the perspectives of the man and woman, allows readers to see the perspectives of both characters on a single event. Readers move between the viewpoints of the two characters, breaking stereotypes and prejudices about their illnesses. Author Maiko Seo gives voice to those who are easily misunderstood in society.
Director Sho Miyake has delicately captured the lives of those standing outside the boundaries of society. In <And Your Bird Can Sing>, he captured the lethargy of youth wandering through the dark night, and in <Your Eyes Tell>, he depicted the challenging daily life of a professional boxer with hearing impairment. In this work, his gaze is also directed towards the marginalized. Director Sho Miyake explained his reason for adapting the original work, saying, “I think there are many people who struggle for various reasons, not just PMS or panic disorder. This struggle comes from not being able to participate in society and hold a job due to the causes of their difficulties, rather than physical hardships. I made this film with the hope that people would think about those who have such struggles.” He added, “I was drawn to the protagonists after reading the original novel. It wasn't because of their illnesses. They repeatedly question and answer themselves about their situations. In that process, they think about ways to live better without preconceived notions and constantly take action. I found such protagonists cute and charming.”
Moving Towards the Light
Yamazoe is shrouded in darkness from the moment he first appears. The dim mise-en-scène, with no sign of light breaking through, encapsulates his psychology. Fujisawa tries to help Yamazoe, who is struggling like herself. She gives him a bicycle because he cannot take the train, buys him convenience store food, and even cuts his hair because he cannot go to a hair salon. Initially, Yamazoe considered her help as unwarranted meddling, but he soon finds himself transformed like Fujisawa. He rides the bicycle she gave him to deliver the phone she left at the office while she is resting at home due to PMS. After developing panic disorder, Yamazoe had not cared about others, but for Fujisawa, he steps into the light from the darkness. The scene where Yamazoe goes to meet Fujisawa is covered in the brightest light in the film. Fujisawa is like the North Star, shining in the dark night sky, to Yamazoe.
Orion's Belt Drawn by the Solidarity of Lonely People
Fujisawa and Yamazoe work at the small company Kurita Science, which makes children's planetariums. They are busy preparing to showcase the planetarium to invited guests. During the process of preparing a narration for the planetarium, Yamazoe discovers a tape with the voice of a colleague who worked at Kurita Science 30 years ago and the colleague's notes. Yamazoe borrows the materials left by the colleague to write a script about the North Star and constellations. On the day of the planetarium showcase, Fujisawa tells the audience about the stars that served as beacons for the lost in ancient times when there were no compasses. Inside the planetarium, people are moved as they gaze at the shining stars in the night sky above them.
Director Sho Miyake, in <All of the Dawn>, depicts a worldview strengthened by a sense of solidarity. In <And Your Bird Can Sing>, the three young people in Hakodate remained as wandering youths without emotional connection. In <Your Eyes Tell>, Keiko grows through time spent with those around her, but their communication remains a loose connection. Continuing from his previous work <Your Eyes Tell>, Director Sho Miyake vividly portrays the loneliness of those who are not connected to others through his trademark 16mm film shooting. However, in <All of the Dawn>, he unites all those who are lost and wandering. Kurita Science accepts Fujisawa and Yamazoe, who find it difficult to secure the right to work in society, and Yamazoe wants to continue working with them. The stars, once scattered and lonely in their own worlds, come together to form constellations.
