Kontora (2021)

Not all progress is forward

Shot in black and white Kontora casts a surreal experience over the viewer as a father and daughter seek to heal in the midst of their grief and mend their broken relationship. They are aided by a mysterious mute wanderer who only walks backwards.

Sora discovers her recently deceased grandfather's war diary, a journal that details the vicious treatment of student scholars turned soldiers near the end of WWII. He had hidden his "metal arm" deep in the forest and Sora becomes obsessed with finding her grandfather's treasure. Ultimately, she is helped by the mute homeless man and her father.

All three main characters are lonely and lost. Sora seemingly has no friends and only had her grandfather to confide in. Her father has been adrift and bereft since the death of her mother. The vagabond meanders through town in threadbare clothes walking backwards with people staying out of his way. When her father accidentally hits him coming home from a party one night, Sora determines to care for him against her father's wishes.

Sora's cousin, who had failed to become a dancer and returned to town attempted to befriend Sora. Her father, the rich uncle, greedy for more, at first only wanted Sora's house to add to his collection, but after hearing about the "treasure" set his sights on it, further driving a wedge between family members. When the treasure was found the meaning behind Grandpa's words were obvious.

The mute man whether quiet sage or spirit in need of healing, in his own peculiar way helped pull daughter and father together on the quest for the missing treasure. A movie with a smooth glass surface became murkier and more turbulent as the characters dove deeper into their relationships and what they needed. It would take the miracle of working together to fight back to a bright surface.

An odd slice of life movie on coming of age, the power of family and desire for healing, Kontora perhaps ran too long. It could ramble slowly over the roads again and again of the small town and the hills and valleys surrounding Sora's home.

The performances were heartfelt and natural. Newcomer Mase Hidemasa gave an emotional performance as the mute without uttering a word. Marui Wan managed to convey the conflicting emotions of the insolent, independent teenager in search of meaning, relationship, and something beyond the borders of the nearly empty town. The performances were backed up by a forlorn musical score.

Despite a small budget and reportedly being filmed in 10 days, Kontora looked polished and felt meaningful even when it tried a little too hard to be mysterious.





7/25/22

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