LIFE CAN BE SO WONDERFUL (Japan)

This anthology film consists of five fictional portraits in the form of visual poems. Together the numbered episodes can be said to constitute a snapshot of Japanese society. More than anything, Life Can Be So Wonderful is the debut feature of artist Osamu Minorikawa, who aims to express his worldview, esthetics and personal concerns through five characters that reflect aspects of his personality. The film adopts the title of the first episode, about a 39 year-old nude model's concern with aging. This single woman living in Tokyo gains a deeper appreciation of her body through her interest in botany. This episode features vibrantly saturated shots in which the color green predominates. "Bar Fly" is the only episode shot in black & white. It concerns the daily routine of a homeless man in Osaka who carries a sign promoting sake bars, then spends his pay at those same establishments. "Her Favorite Solitude" uses voice-over narration to convey the ruminations on love and happiness of a young girl during moments of intimacy with her boyfriend. "Snakfin Liberty" features a cosmologist whose girlfriend's pregnancy conflicts with his desire to remain free from familial responsibilities. The character, like Minorikawa himself, identifies with Finnish cartoon character Snakfin, a globe-trotting poet. A teenage girl is the central character of "Reasons to Live", a gorgeously fluid meditation on beauty, on noticing the small things in life we often bypass or take for granted. Things that are often difficult to grasp and explain. Life can be so Wonderful incorporates a variety of texts including Jacques Prevert's "Pater Noster" and these words by Umberto Saba: "Nothing answers life like life". The unique experience is complemented by an evocative soundtrack that highlights the lovely voice of world-famous opera singer Norie Suzuki.

Writer/director Osamu Minorikawa introduced the film then answered questions after the screening. He is an affable, 35 year-old man with blond hair and an easy smile. He charmed the audience by helping those who walked in during his introduction to find seats in the crowded theatre. He reported that this screening was the "world premiere" of Life Can Be So Wonderful but he must have meant outside Japan since the film was shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival (it's scheduled to screen at Cannes in May). He discussed technical and financial aspects of making his debut, but most interestingly provided details of his personal life that left no doubt as to the autobiographical nature of the project. Not only his interest in botany and cosmology, but his desire to fall in love and have a family competing with his freespirited, freewheeling personality.