Films from Past Years
/ Air DollJapan | Narrative Feature | 2009 | 125 min
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
A life-size Air Doll lives in a shabby apartment in Tokyo. She cannot speak or move, but she is the only companion her middle-aged master has. He talks to her, puts her in a bath and makes love with her every day after he returns from work. This routine is disrupted when fantasy turns into reality and the Air Doll suddenly comes to life and is filled with a soul. Like a newborn baby, she doesn’t understand what is going on around her, but sees a world waiting to be explored outside the small apartment. Eventually venturing to the outside world, the Air Doll is fascinated by everything she sees, and though she meets many people in all walks of life, they can’t seem to provide an answer to what ‘being alive’ means. A romantic fantasy that explores the complexities of love and loss, joy and pain, fantasy and reality, internationally acclaimed director Kore-eda Hirokazu returns with this bittersweet love story that examines the intricacies and frailties of human existence.
