Kotoko (2011) - full transcript

Kaijyu Theater Presents

A Shinya Tsukamoto Film

I see double.

I can't tell which one is real.

I must stay alert,
otherwise I could die.

I don't cut my body to die.

I just need to confirm if...

I'm still allowed to exist.

I try to vanquish myself,
but my body says... "Live"

I don't see double when I am singing.

"The moon on the thirteenth night...



the most beautiful time of the moon

Seventeen years old...
the most beautiful time of ladies

HO-I CHO-GA

Silky flowers... of the temple

Bloom golden flowers

Ho-I CHO-GA"

The world becomes one.

By the way, I have a child.

I've never married.
The ring is to keep men away.

Next, today's news.

In the early morning,
A child body was found by a river.

Later, the body was identified
as Yuto by his parents.

He totally relies on me, ...

trusting his tiny life to my frail arms.



What If I let my arms go?

What if I open my arms a little?

My dear Daijiro will fall.

He will fall...

If I let...

If I...

Look! Shadow, shadow.

Flowers...

Pink flowers.

Also many trees.

I wanted no one near him.

No one...

A cute baby!

Don't bother the baby.
He's sleeping now.

He...He's sleeping now.

He is...he...

How old is he?

I had to move out of
the neighbourhood.

I arranged our new home
in a way we can stay indoors.

But he wasn't happy.

I ended up taking him outside.

I must find a secluded spot.

What a cute baby!

No...Please!

So cute!

What a cute baby!

I don't mind moving.

Don't you like it?
No?

Take a look, Daijiro.

No, eh?

All right.
Give you a cuddle.

My dear boy.

He's so precious to me...

So precious...

So much so...

His life depends on my frail arms.

If I let my arms go, he'll fall.

That's dangerous.

What if I open my arms a little?

That's dangerous.

Danger, danger.

Help!

My baby fell...Help!

Please call an ambulance!

My baby!
Call an ambulance, please.

I knocked on each door and
apologised to the neighbours.

I am starving.

Let me cook.

Please. My arms will be broken.
Let me...let me eat.

Wait for me here.

I wonder what
other mothers would do.

Ouch. It's hot!

All right.

I can't do this.
I can't.

Can't handle it.

They took Daijiro away from me.

They suspected me abusing my child.

Daijiro was handed over to my sister.

A man with a knife intruded
on a classroom...

and slashed students indiscriminately.

Five students were rushed to hospital.
Three were confirmed dead.

The suspect..

You do care deeply for your son.

But you show an unusual way
of loving your son.

It's a fallacy that a mother has
an instinct to raise a child.

It takes a lot of knowledge
to raise a kid.

We do group counseling...

Enough!

Thank you so much.
I do appreciate your...

coming to talk to me.

You are married, right?

Make a living, ...

work, ...

and so forth.

Common sense, ...

lack of common sense.

Man...

Woman.

Women better have kids early.
That'll make 'em softer, right?

Get lost.

Marry to your job.

Daijiro? Hi...

It's Kotoko speaking.

That's great.

Hi, sis.

Can I?

Are you sure?

Yes... definitely.

I'll be there!

"The weather has been hot

I've been on the beach

I'm hoping to get a body board

That's what I'm thinking

Without you

The tide comes in and goes out

Joe did something stupid

Tommy got a pair of new boots

Eoghan had a very first kiss

That's what happened last week

Without you

The tide comes in... goes out.."

Hi, Hiro.

Kotoko is here.

It's your mum.

Who is here? Who?

Are you shy?

- Good to see you.
- Good to be here.

Come to Mama.

You still remember it, don't you.

Daijiro, this is for you.

What's this?

Let's see.

What is this?

Would you like to try?

It's for you.

It's too much for him.

Only take one at a time.

Don't be a greedy boy.

Can I have one?

Thank you.

Other gifts for you.
All for you.

You finish this first.

He likes those better, right?

Come on, , and try it.

Let's finish them first.

For me? Thanks!

Yummy!

Up to three times.

Look, Daijiro!

Do it slowly.
Yeah, just like that.

Diamond.

"In the garden of your place

I will bloom Jasmine flowers for you,
my dearest one...

Pretending to pick the flowers

I will take a glance at you,
my dearest one...

HO-I CHO-GA

At the entrance of your place

I will drop a flower
dyed handkerchief

Pretending to pick it up

Longing to meet you...

Ho-I CHO-GA"

I feel good.

But time flies when I'm having fun.

I am not allowed to live
with Daijiro yet.

I'll have this one.

One for me?

Please?

No.

You won't give it to me.
Ls that it?

Can I have one?

No? Maybe...No.

Kotoko, , I'll give you a lift.

It's okay.

C'mon.

No thanks, I'll walk.

Time to go.

Thank you.

This too?

Thank you.

Thank you. All of them?

Please keep them.

I must get going.

- See you.
- Take care.

Take it easy!

Live.

Live...

and live.

A long time has passed.
It seems that way.

But I don't know exactly how long.

I am not going to vanquish myself.

Excuse me.

Excuse me, miss.

Sorry to bother you.

Hey...

Hey!

I've been watching you.
Your behaviour worries me.

Don't worry about me.
Please go away.

Don't play games with me!

Stay still, bitch.

I am not a bad person.

I have been following you.

Are you stalking me?

No, no, no...

Actually, I...am.

Seriously?

His name was Tanaka.

He was following me since
he heard me sing on the bus.

A strange guy.
Who's he?

I was dozing off on the bus.

And then...

Something awakened in me.
It was so moving.

I wondered what it was.

But I felt so good and
enjoyed the sensation.

Then, I realised it was a voice, ...

a female voice.

I looked around,
and saw you singing.

He told me he was a novelist.

I didn't know him since I don't read.

But he was well known among
those who read books.

He said that we were destined to meet.

To my surprise,
he even proposed to me.

Can you consider...

a relationship with me
that could lead to marriage?

I...

laughed.

Hello.

I brought delicious cream puffs.

I hate cream puffs.

The knife wielding killer is still
at large.

A warning was issued to residents
to exercise extra caution.

The Tsurukawa Award winner
is Mr. Seitaro Tanaka.

I first aspired to be a novelist
when I was in the sixth grade.

I've been dreaming of
the Tsurukawa Novel Prize

I am so happy to receive
this prize.

He's been writing since making
his mark as a writer...

with his first novel "Bullet Dance".

The award indeed makes him
one of hot writers.

Hey.

You!

Go to hell.

"The Man Who Brightens The Moon"
by Seitaro Tanaka

Hello.

Err...

I...

I...I come to ask you out.

Say something.

Say something to impress me.

Well...

Can't think of anything.

Kotoko, , Kotoko!

You are trespassing.

Where is a towel?

It's in the bedroom.

Bedroom?

Where in the bedroom?

- In the drawer.
- Drawer?

The second drawer from the top.

- I can't use it.
- Why not?

It's for the baby.

- It's baby's.
- So what?

No, I can't.

Then which one?

On top of the coloured shelf.

This is a diaper, no good.

The plain one.

I'm fine.

Calm down.

It hurts when you do that.

I'm not doing this to die.

I'm just amazed
at the body's will to live.

It smells fishy when it bleeds.

I smell the sea.

From this, I understand
human beings came from the ocean.

Starting as a micro organism
like plankton.

I see your point.

Plankton.

I know what you mean.

Please don't talk.

You know...

Umh...

I want to be with you.

Umh?

What's that?

What?

No kidding!
Get out.

Get out.

Out!

Leave.

Go home.

Ouch.

Please don't move.

Leave me alone. Go home.

I...I...I'm a terrible person.

Go home!

What? What's so terrible?

I'm horrible, terrible.

I...I don't know what happened
to you in the past.

But you're fine now.

Please listen to me.

You are all right. Listen!
You're all right.

I told him that I can't
decide by myself.

He then suggested that
we go and see my son.

Without any further discussions, ...

we went to see Daijiro.

Daijiro!

I am going to be happy.

And surprise all of those who left me.

All of those who deserted me.
I'm going to be so happy.

And surprise them all.

Don't need to cry.

Sorry.
I overdid it, didn't I.

I'm fine.

I really am.

Place it there, will you?

- All of these?
- Yes, right here.

How about this?

Come this way.

It belongs here, right?

Yes, please place it here.

Kotoko.

Don't worry.

The wound is almost healed.

You can do that to me again.

I'm all right.

Don't worry about me.

Please! Don't.
You'll be fine.

It's fine. It's fine.

Don't worry!

You'll be fine.
We'll be okay.

We'll be all right!

Listen!
Everything's gonna be all right.

Some don't believe that aliens exist.
How can't they?

We use the word "alien"
from our own point of view.

To them, we are aliens too.

In the universe,
there're a hundred billion...

bright stars shining like the Sun.

Like our solar system with
orbiting planets, ...

there're a hundred billion
star systems in the Milky Way.

It's mind boggling.

We can only see few stars
in the Milky Way.

It takes I 2 light years...

to travel to the edge of the Milky Way.

Beyond that, infinite space lies.

It's endless, isn't it?
It's really amazing.

Actually, ...

I may stop writing.

What are you going to do then?

I'll keep loving you.

That's what I want to do
as my profession.

Are you kidding me?

Stop writing or not?

No, I won't quit.

I looked around to see
cheerful Tanaka.

But I did not see him.

Then I realised
the world became one.

"I don't need any sympathy

Though...

I can't do anything with
the full dish in front of me

kept waiting for ages...

So lonely

I think... I'm in love...

It's all over you

so far away

It's all over you

It came from somewhere
across the ocean

So... I don't know

I don't know

I don't know anything

Gone away so fast

The wind blows hard on my body

You know that...
we all are under the sky

Though we struggle around

There are too many...

red shoes

and lambs

It's all over you

so far away

It's all over you

It came from somewhere
across the ocean

So... I don't know

I don't know

I don't know anything

It's all over my shoulders

So silently

It's all over my shoulders

I will forget about
the place across the ocean

You...

so far away...

you...

Though I came from far
across the ocean

I don't know

I know nothing...

yet..."

From sis...

Daijiro is coming back!

Tanaka, Daijiro is
coming back home.

They consider me rehabilitated.

You scared me!

You moved everything
into this room.

Good morning.

Notice: Father's Class Visit Day

Daijiro, be careful... the pencil.

Pencil.

Daijiro, wait.

Don't run.

Daijiro! Stop!

Kotoko.

Hang tough, Japan.

I don't want Daijiro
to be dragged around...

by strangers at a strange place.

I don't want Daijiro to die
in sheer terror.

If he cried for me...

and I wasn't there to protect him...

I won't forgive myself.

I can't let that happen to him.

Before that can happen, ...

I will let him go by my own hands.

I'll let him go gently and with dignity.

I'll be by his side, ...

holding him in my arms
and let him go.

Pure white.
Pure white void.

I was told I'd be allowed outside
once a day to smoke.

I do smoke.

Definitely I do.

I request my smoking time.

"Dearest mother in the kitchen

What is delicious?

The cigar made from
lower leaves are delicious

The great tea leaves are
too bitter, you know...

HO-I CHO-GA

The moon on the thirteenth night..

The most beautiful time of the moon

Seventeen years old...
the most beautiful time of ladies

HO-I CHO-GA

On a night of the full moon
rising from the east

Oh... please light up Okinawa
and the Yaeyama Islands

HO-I CHO-GA

What a beautiful moon night...

Let's have a banquet together

Ho-I CHO-GA"

They tell me that
my son has come to see me.

My son?

Daijiro?

Is he alive?

Visit me?

Alone?

How long have I been here?

Soccer game was rained out yesterday.

It was postponed to next week.

We've got school sport day, too.
Gonna be tough next week.

I'll see you, mum.

"A boy

in my flat,

in my bed,

in my couch

I will give you

everything you want

I will give you

everything you want

Cuddling you...

Loving you...

Cuddling you...

Loving you...

I will give you

everything you want

Mum's gonna give you

a Lollypop you love...

Cast:

Cocco as Kotoko

Shinya Tsukamoto as Tanaka

Crew:

Produce, Screenplay, Edit, , Cinematography
and Direct: Shinya Tsukamoto

Music and Production Design: Cocco

Sound: Masaya Kitada

Special Make-Up and
Plastic Art Design: Mai Hanai

First Assistant Director and
Cinematographer: Satoshi Hayashi