JFF Theater: TIME TRAVELLER: THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME: Time Travel as a Vessel for Memory
Time travel stories have always held a unique allure, possessing a special charm that consistently captivates audiences. This is certainly the case for this story within Japanese culture; based on the 1967 Yasutaka Tsutsui’s novel, it has been adapted for the big screen no fewer than four times, with each iteration offering its own distinct perspective.
This 2010 adaptation, serves as a sequel to the 1983 film starred by popular 80´s idol Tomoyo Harada in her screen debut . It follows the daughter of the original protagonist as she travels back to 1972 to find her mother’s teenage love and deliver a long-awaited message. However, the journey is fraught with errors: she arrives two years late. There, she encounters an aspiring young filmmaker who helps her on her quest, inadvertently weaving a new story that leads them to a poignant realization—in this life, the only thing that truly survives the passage of time is oblivion.
Under the direction of Masaaki Taniguchi, the film becomes more than just a narrative; it is a visual time capsule. The fantastic recreation of the 1970s, combined with a magnetic performance by Riisa Naka, transports us as viewers, making us silent companions in the protagonist’s search. Taniguchi guides us through a quiet, yet never slow, labyrinth of emotions. Here, a new story is built step-by-step upon the foundations of the past—a story quietly etched into an unopened roll of celluloid and an old photograph of people who, at some point, ceased to exist.
It serves as a haunting reminder that time marches on relentlessly, weaving its designs regardless of the feelings that often remain anchored like pillars—columns that eventually collapse and turn to dust, simply to make way for something new.
The film is available at Japanese Foundation streaming platform JFF THEATER for free with multiple subtitles until May, 7, 2026.
https://es.jff.jpf.go.jp/movie/the-girl-who-leapt-through-time-2010/
Living through Cinematic memories while surviving the most putrified film swamps
