After seven long years of gestation, director Ryosuke Hashiguchi – a central figure in new Japanese cinema and an unconventional poet of human fragility – breaks his silence with a soft-spoken, epic work. Ambitious yet intimate, All Around Us is not only an extraordinary cinematic journey into the life of a married couple, but also an oblique portrait of a decade of change in Japan. Delving into our social weaknesses, the quiet observation of the human psyche becomes a pivotal notion of the film. Entrusting his lyrical narrative to a measured pace, Hashiguchi spins a hushed story of great authenticity.
Kanao (renowned illustrator, novelist, singer and designer Lily Franky, in his major film debut) is a man of few words. He runs a small shoe repair shop and has recently married his college girlfriend Shoko (Tae Kimura). When a friend offers him a job as a courtroom sketch artist, he accepts willingly, as it offers a better opportunity to express his artistic talent. It will also make it easier to increase his savings, which is all the more important now that Shoko is pregnant.
In the courtroom, a procession of sensational trials parades in front of Kanao's attentive eyes, coming to life on the pages of his notebook – a colourful gallery of faces and emotions that portray the dark side of Japan. At home, he watches in pain as his wife enters a paralyzing depression after the death of their infant baby girl.
Breaking free of the slight claustrophobia of Kanao and Shoko's relationship, Hashiguchi brilliantly frames their marriage against a peculiar historical background, capturing the spirit of the time within the lines of a cleverly constructed script. In Kanao's courtroom, some of the most significant crimes in recent Japanese history echo with slightly altered names and distorted details. Giving his characters the necessary time and space to breathe and grow within the borders of their personal relationships and against the blue screen of Japanese society, the film's rich tapestry seems destined to find a lasting place in the viewers' memories.
Giovanna Fulvi
Ryosuke Hashiguchi was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and studied film at the Osaka University of Arts. His films include The Secret of Last Night (89), A Touch of Fever (93), Like Grains of Sand (95), Hush! (01) and All Around Us (08).