“Saikai Paradise” is the second feature by director Keiko Tsuruoka to screen at the Nippon Connection, following “Makuko” (2019). Before that, it was presented in Vancouver and Tokyo. Tsuruoka started making movies while studying at Rikkyo University. Her graduation project “The Town of Whales” (2012) won the Grand Prize at the PIA Film Festival and screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, among others. She later studied under Kiyoshi Kurosawa at the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Film and New Media, where she directed “My First Love” (2013). Currently, she teaches film at Kobe Design University.
In a slow and melancholic manner, the story follows Kazu (Kazunari Yanagitani). Visibly disappointed with his acting career and personal life, and consequently not knowing what to do with his life, the young man returns from Tokyo to his hometown of Saikai in Nagasaki Prefecture, where he hopes to clear his mind. In the town where life moves at a much slower pace than the city, he struggles with feelings of uncertainty but tries to reconnect with friends and family.
Opening with a long sequence showing a woman (who later turns out to be Kazu’s mother, not only in the movie but also in real life) making tofu, the film has a very documentary-like atmosphere. The story is simple. Kazunari spends time with friends, reconnects with his family, explores the surroundings, and reflects on his life. There are very few dramatic events, and the director does not push toward a clear message or conclusion. Instead, it relies on conversations (and the things left unsaid) and subtle small moments to create an emotional connection, leaving the interpretation of the picture to the viewer. It ends in a similar way as it started, with a tofu-making process, strengthening the sense of routine and continuity presented through the whole narrative.
With subdued, yet convincing performances, the cast creates relationships that feel natural and genuine, which is hardly surprising, given that a large part of the story is based on the lead actor’s life. Many characters appear throughout the movie, but they are rather underdeveloped, making the experience as a whole more important than particular individuals. Warm and nice-looking, the cinematography makes good use of the surrounding landscapes, while the soundtrack combines ambient music with natural sounds to underline the calm and reflective mood. All these elements go well together and present Saikai as one of the film’s main subjects, as the town is losing population, which makes many worry about its future.
Throughout its rather short, 72-minute runtime, “Saikai Paradise” blends fiction with very realistic elements, focusing less on plot and more on atmosphere, people, and places. Giving the impression of a project worked on by a small group of friends, it offers a portrait of small-town Japanese life and the challenges faced by places slowly being absorbed by larger cities.
This uncertainty about the future is also reflected in the main character, who seems to be absorbed with the world, the society, the life he chose to have. While its focus on atmosphere feels intentional, the relaxed pace, as well as the lack of specific events or information about the characters, can make it feel uneventful, testing some viewers’ patience. Nevertheless, if one manages to become emotionally engaged, “Saikai Paradise” succeeds as a sincere portrait of a place that is a kind of quiet paradise.
