A Gentle Breeze in the Village

Eighth-grader Soyo lives in a very small rural village of Japan where the primary and middle school share a building for all of 6 students. They spend a happy childhood together playing around the village. Osawa, a boy from Tokyo, transfers to this school. Soyo and Osawa exchange their first kiss through a small incident and naturally become a couple. Adults have their problems but for children, the festival in summer, hair styles, and the ghost tale about a woman who died on the beach are far more important. There is no glamour but the time of purity passes never to be forgotten. After his previous film The Matsugane Potshot Affair, Nobuhiro Yamashita comes back with a peaceful and warm film. Based on the comics by Kuramochi Husako, the film captures the pure sentiment of children and their maturity that cannot be seen in the city. Beautifully shot summer days deliver its heat to viewers while the director induces sympathy naturally. The film is a must see for audiences who are nostalgic of innocent love and crisp shiny summer days. (KWON Young-min)