Bare Essence of Life (Urutora mirakuru rabu sutôrî)

Year: 2009
Country: JAPAN
Run Time: 120 minutes

Life is relatively uneventful for 25-year-old Yojin. He awakens every morning to multiple alarms, checks the whiteboard where he tracks the activities of the day, and tends to the organic garden his grandmother has charged him with. But Yojin is different, very different. Although his life seems fairly predictable, he is caught in a world between fantasy and reality. That changes when Machiko (Miss Shinsen) arrives from Tokyo. She is recovering from the death of her boyfriend in a car crash. Machiko has agreed to serve as a substitute teacher at the local school. When Yojin notices her, he gets a feeling he's never had before. Machiko is a bit put-off by his unusual attempts to gain her attention, but their relationship grows. Yojin begins to rearrange his life and daily actions for Machiko, a choice that might not be of good consequence. BARE ESSENCE OF LIFE questions the conventions many hold themselves to in society, relinquishing the freedom that comes from being able to express who you are. It is a film reflecting the miracles of everyday life within a framework of fantasy, drama, dark humor, and romance. (In Japanese with subtitles) – CCP

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