The Nation Building Movement Film Club is screening the Japanese film “Perfect Days” directed by the famous German director Wim Wenders, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The film embodies a simple and deep emotional story revolving around the life of a Japanese man named “Hiro”, who works as a public bath cleaner in Tokyo.
The film revolves around "Hiro", a middle-aged man who lives a modest life, devoting his day to cleaning the city's public toilets. Despite the monotony and simplicity of his work, "Hiro" shows a sense of satisfaction and inner peace in his daily life. It focuses on the daily routine of this lonely man, to reveal the beauty of the small details of life that may seem ordinary or even boring to others.
The film presents poetic scenes and long silent moments, embodying how a person can find peace and calm in the simple details of life away from the noise of fast-paced life. Through Hiro’s relationship with his surroundings, whether it is through the plants he cares for, the books he reads, or the music he listens to in his free time, he reflects a deep philosophy about life and death, loneliness, and the beauty in simple things. This is evident through the cinematography that Wenders followed in conveying the fine details of the city of Tokyo, to be a cinematic experience that calls for contemplation and tranquility.
Perfect Days received widespread praise from critics and audiences alike. They praised Koji Yakusho's quiet and moving performance, as well as Wenders's direction, which presented a simple yet deeply emotional story. The film is a meditation on daily routine, isolation, and the beauty of life in its simplest forms, earning it a high esteem in film circles.
