SIDONIE AU JAPON/ SIDONIE IN JAPAN

France, 2023, 95 minutes, Colour.

Isabelle Huppert, Tsuyoshi Ihara, August Diehl.

Directed by Elise Girard.

What happens when one visits a new country, experiences a different culture, brings one’s life experiences and discovers more about oneself and the need for change?

This is another star vehicle for Isabelle Huppert who has been top-lining films for almost 50 years, a great talent for embodying a variety of roles. This time she is a writer who has not written for some time but is invited by a Japanese publisher to come to Japan for a week to promote,  for interviews about the Japanese translation of her first book.

We see her late at the airport, but the plane delayed, uncertainty as to whether she should venture to Japan or not. She does, somewhat bewildered on arrival, her luggage examined, then met by the publisher himself, quietly imposing figure, Kenzo (an dignified Tsuyoshi Ihara) and her unexpected journey begins.

Despite her education, she is very awkward in the Japanese situation, exemplified by her uncertainty about bowing (and her awkward bowing), the fact that Kenzo took her purse as well as her suitcase, and her wanting the purse back… There is also the language situation, her not having any Japanese, some conversations in French, sometimes having to resort to English.

We’re not quite sure what to make of Sidonie, perhaps wondering what we would do in our first visit to a different culture. But, she manages the interviews, the revelation that her writing was promoted by her late husband, and her stopping writing the result of grieving at his death. And, she gradually gets to know Kenzo, step-by-step his revealing something about himself, non-communication with his wife, being busy, a loner. They go on tours around Japan – very engaging for an audience wanting to see more of the country and culture – the cities, temples, coast, the islands.

But there is a lot more to Sidonie’s Japanese experience. In Japan, there is a culture of ghosts, ghostly presences, the dead in some kind of communion with the living. Suddenly, Sidonie, glimpses her husband, smiling (August Diehl). He keeps appearing and disappearing, communicating with her, tantalising, sad memories, some jokes with her even laughing and giggling. And, she wonders, and we wonder, what this could mean.

What it does mean, of course, is that Sidonie is able to come to terms with her husband’s death, her grief, its paralysing effect on her life, the fact that she was encouraged by him to write, that she loves to write, that she can begin again. There is the intimacy with Kenzo but could it be something permanent? Or not?.

This is the story of Sidonie in Japan, and it is an invitation for us to travel into the meaning of our own lives.

1. The title focus? A portrait of Sidonie? Her experience of Japan, culture and traditions?
2. The focus on Japan, audience expectations, awareness of Japanese culture, the landscapes, the cities, the population? The opening visuals of the city, the skyscrapers? Then the move into the towns, the countryside, the sea? The beauty of Japan, the landscapes, the water, islands? The meetings, temples, Buddhist traditions? The musical score, the piano themes, pensive, excited?
3. The low-key of the film, pensive, meditative, gentle exploration of the awakening consciousness in Japan?
4. At the Paris airport, the plane delayed, Sidonie uncertain? The flight, arrival in Japan, feeling lost, the guards and directions, the luggage? Her meeting with Kenzo, quiet, dark glasses, somewhat remote, carrying her luggage, taking her bag, her trotting afterwards, taking back the bag? The awkwardness in bowing, his advice to not bow? arrival in the hotel, settling in? The prospect of her book tour?
5. Her background, the death of her parents in the accident, her survival and consciousness of this, her story of the meeting with Antoine, the bonding, love, marriage, the sadness of his death? His encouraging her writing, her first book, further writing, his death, not writing anymore? The Japanese translation of her first book, the invitation to Japan?
6. Sidonie and her getting used to Japan, French, English, translations, the interviews with the journalist, the questions, her responses about her life, surviving with her writing? The signing of books? Admiration for her?
7. The sudden appearance of Antoine, the searching for him, the mystery of the shop windows, the window open, the mess on the floor, her complaints to reception? His continued appearances, smiling, beginning to talk, their communication, her searching for him, not having dinner with Kenzo, wanting to go back to Antoine? The bonding, their talking, issues of ghosts and presents, death? His gradual fading? His mischievous behaviour, in the bath in the shower, and her giggling, the discussions with Kenzo, his explanation of ghosts in Japan, sense of presence?
8. Her coming to terms with his presence, with his death, with her happiness, the dream at her kissing him and Kenzo?
9. The travelling together, the islands, the exhilaration, the shared experiences, the bonding?
10. Kenzo, gradually revealing his life alienation from his wife, his working, admiration for Sidonie, being with her, the travelling together, the long close-up on their hands, touching, communication, the use of a succession of stills for the sexual encounter?
11. The effect on Sidonie, the six days in Japan, opening her eyes to different perspectives, cultures, spiritual beliefs, coming to terms with her life after death of Antoine, her beginning to write again?
12. The farewell at the airport, her going back to France – and the last close-up of Kenzo at her departure?