In Mr Hirasaka's photography studio in the mountains, someone is waking up as if from a dream. There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life. Mr Hirasaka will ask them to choose a photo from each year, those that capture their most treasured memories, to be placed in a beautiful Japanese lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, and their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world.
But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories fade with age. So, each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to and photograph again. Each has a breathtaking story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers a time when he was kind, and a strong child who is fighting to survive.
Extraordinarily moving and wise, The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful Japanese tale about the people that make us and the moments that change us.
In Mr Hirasaka's photography studio in the mountains, someone is waking up as if from a dream. There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life. Mr Hirasaka will ask them to choose a photo from each year, those that capture their most treasured memories, to be placed in a beautiful Japanese lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, and their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world.
But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories fade with age. So, each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to and photograph again. Each has a breathtaking story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers a time when he was kind, and a strong child who is fighting to survive.
Extraordinarily moving and wise, The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful Japanese tale about the people that make us and the moments that change us.