birdland

Takeshi Kogahara’s twenty-minute shortfilm, Birdland, takes an almost chilling look into the life of an elderly man named Koji (Shin Furukawa), who lives by himself, save for his caretaker, Ishida (Tomoko Ikunishi), who tends to his needs. Koji can’t help himself much. His gait is low hanging, his hands frequently jitter and he has trouble sleeping, he wears a diaper, and he also wants to die. One evening, Ishida arrives in time to see him half-awake after a cup of wine. She changes and washes him, and then sets out to dump the trash. The following moment Koji is by himself is when Birdland transitions from his room, decorated with pictures of nature and birds stapled to his drawers and walls, to memories of walking in a park in the company of his wife, Saki (Natsuko Fuji) who is also wheelchair bound. Birdland is the latest shortfilm work of its […]

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