Leave the Cat Alone

Competitive section

Love/Romance

Plagued by insomnia and lethargy, Mori lets time drift aimlessly, unable to create any meaningful music, all while uneasily sharing a home with his wife, Maiko, a successful and driven photographer. When Mori and his former lover, Asako, reunite by chance and catch up, they confront different versions of the past within their own recalled memories. After they part ways, Asako comes home to a warm meal lovingly prepared by her partner, and a rekindled desire to paint again. At the same time, Mori visits Maiko’s exhibition, and discovers scenes of his own daily life, captured within her affectionate frames. Leave the Cat Alone, the feature debut from director Shigaya Daisuke, who was previously invited to the Wide Angle section for his short film Windows (2021), unravels the texture of subtly entangled emotions with a delicate and sensitive gaze. As Mori’s and Asako’s memories diverge in the middle of the film, time and fact are intentionally confused and fragmented, yet the overall atmosphere remains consistently calm and quiet. The director’s deliberate choice to focus on emotional authenticity over narrative completeness delivers a simple, touching moment that Maiko feels at her front door near the end of the film. Perhaps the answer to the question, “Are you happy now?” lies within the small moments of content that find us throughout life.

Programme note by Karen PARK