As Long As We’re Alive

Directed by Shiori Ueno

Yumi, a 20-year-old living in the countryside of Gunma Prefecture, has an older friend named Ishii. Eccentric and irresponsible, Ishii is far from ordinary, yet the two share an inexplicable bond. Yumi lives with her mother, who often tells her, “I love you more than anyone in the world.” Bound by those words, Yumi takes on the responsibility of supporting their household in place of her unemployed mother. One day, Ishii suddenly disappears, leaving behind a single note:“We are being questioned by life.”Those words become the quiet push Yumi needs to finally step out of her confined world. Five years later, now living a glamorous life in the city, Yumi finds herself reflecting on the past.Where is Ishii now? What kind of life is her living?