And Your Bird Can Sing

Sho Miyake's 2018 Japanese film follows three young people through a summer in Hakodate, Hokkaido. The narrator works in a bookshop, his flatmate is unemployed, and a woman from the same shop comes between them; none of the three names what is happening. The subject is assuming something will continue. The characters make no plans, take no decisions and do not define the relationship, and until the summer ends there is no cost to that. The narrative saves the cost for the end. Miyake holds his scenes long and gives wide space to passages outdoors at night; music and walking set the rhythm. It is adapted from Yasushi Sato's novel. Tasuku Emoto and Shizuka Ishibashi lead. Who it's for: those who like contemporary Japanese independent cinema and quiet relationship drama. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a defined plot; the film consists almost entirely of atmosphere.