Every Day a Good Day

Noriko is a university student who does not know what she wants to do. With her cousin she enrols in a tea ceremony class near their house. Her teacher, Takeda, explains nothing; she only shows, and has it repeated. At first Noriko is bored. Then twenty years pass: she finds work, goes through separations, meets losses, and each time returns to the same room. The tea ceremony starts meaning something different every time. Tatsushi Ōmori builds no plot; he tells the seasons, the repetitions, and the difference in the sound of water. The idea behind the narrative is that some things cannot be understood, only settled into over years. Haru Kuroki plays Noriko and Kirin Kiki plays the teacher. It was Kirin Kiki's last film; she died shortly before its release. Who it's for: Viewers who like quiet Japanese drama, narratives about traditional arts, and films of the seasons. Who it's not for: Almost nothing happens and the ceremony scenes are long. The narrative is deliberately still.