An encounter with a doppelganger in Japan cracks open the edges of reality, as a return to the homeland becomes a search through memory, absence, and the ghosts of identity.
Veena Yamano
Canada
2025
In English and Japanese with English subtitles
This short is featured in:
5: The absurd & spiritual
Shorts from: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Portugal.
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Credits & Director
Producer
Thea Loo, Natalie Murao
Screenwriter
Natalie Murao
Cinematography
Kaayla Whachell
Editor
Anna Chiyeko Shannon
Production Design
Masaharu Maeda
Original Music
Veron Xio
Natalie Murao
Natalie Murao is a yonsei (fourth generation) Japanese Canadian filmmaker and educator. Her work often explores themes of identity and generational disconnect, aiming to expand the notion of Asian diasporic cinema. Her film, No More Parties (2020) played at Sundance, TIFF Next Wave, and Palm Springs Shortfest, among others, and was exhibited online through TIFF Bell Lightbox. Her documentary Blue Garden (2022) was selected for Telefilm Canada’s Not Short on Talent program at Clermont-Ferrand and is now available to watch on CBC Gem. Natalie has received mentorship through Sundance Ignite, VIFF Catalyst, and Experimental Forest Films.
VIFF Short Forum
See more shorts in this series
1: Call your mother
Shorts from: Canada, China, UK.
2: Memory & mediation
Shorts from: Canada, France, Lebanon, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Syria, USA.
3: The peripheral core
Shorts from: Brazil, Canada, Japan, Norway, USA.
4: Um, womanhood
Shorts from: Canada, Columbia, France, Netherlands, Sweden.
5: The absurd & spiritual
Shorts from: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Portugal.
6: City slickin’
Shorts from: Canada, France, Jordan, Spain, USA.
7: All day I dream about
Shorts from: Canada, India, Spain, Taiwan, USA.
8: Love and despair
Shorts from: China, France, Germany, Portugal, USA.
9: The scary one
Shorts from: Canada, Korea, Romania, USA.
10: The new socialism; ceasefire now!
Shorts from: Belgium, Canada, China, India, Myanmar, UK.
Short Fuse
An eye-opening collection of shorts exploring memories, experiences and relationships between friends, family, and across generations. From powwows in North America, to the rivers of Ethiopia and beyond, these shorts offer memorable stories on screen.