Kintsugi (2020)

Kintsugi 2020 / 金継ぎ 2020 / Broken

Dante is a Filipino ceramicist who has travelled to Saga Prefecture to learn from Japanese craftspeople at a pottery factory. While he had hoped to learn a new craft to help his own family’s business, he finds himself helplessly attracted to Harue, the heiress of the place who has returned following the breakdown in a relationship with her boyfriend in Tokyo. While their initial meeting is thorny, they soon fall into synchronicity and she teaches him how to repair a broken bowl through a process called kintsugi where broken pieces are attached using lacquer and the cracks are painted with gold. Harue gives the restored bowl to Dante. Perhaps this is symbolic of the way that he might heal her heart. However, Dante’s heart is also broken, a fact revealed when he has to fly home to the Philippines to deal with a family emergency, the truth of which could shatter their fragile connection. Meanwhile, Harue discovers that her father is setting her up for an arranged marriage. Will she choose her duty to her family or personal happiness? (Source: OAFF)