A visit to a public bathhouse to pick up a lost item leads a man to take a break from his day to enjoy the facilities. The people around him are older, the habit falling into disuse. This gesture turns out to be a balm to a state of mourning.
After being at IndieLisboa in 2021 with “Retour a Toyama”, Atsushi Hirai brings us “Oyu”, in yet another return to Toyama, on the north coast of Japan, where the director is from. On the last day of the year, a man enters a public bath to retrieve a package left behind. No one questions his presence, but the distance between this man and the rhythm of those who frequent that space with some regularity is clear. The decision to stay for a hot bath will help him situate himself in the moment he is experiencing.
As in his previous film, here too the characters’ wanderings intersect with this man’s moment, giving meaning to his desire to stay there. Repeating the habits of people close to us helps us maintain a memory of affection. Therefore, every detail of the bath is a gesture of longing and tenderness. Once again, the elegance of details, time, cross conversations and shared silences are the signature of this extraordinary director. (Margarida Moz)
