-Sunset Sunrise-

—The day I encountered the kindness of not forgetting.

There are moments when the distance between people suddenly closes.
Often, it is not about words; it is a quiet kindness, like simply being there or remembering something.

The film "Sunset Sunrise" is a work that depicts such "warmth."
I found myself identifying with the protagonist, a man who moved from the city to the countryside, as he struggled at first but gradually grew accustomed to the atmosphere and the people of the rural town.
What left the deepest impression on me was his interaction with a woman who lost her family in the earthquake disaster.
She still lives while touching the pain of the past.
Facing her, there was a scene where the protagonist lamented, not knowing what an outsider should do when the topic of the earthquake comes up.

The words a local resident said at that moment remain in my heart.

——"It would be enough if you just came by sometimes and remembered."

That single phrase was warm, strong, and quietly seeped into me.
The past cannot be changed.
But "not forgetting" will surely be a salvation for someone.
It doesn't change anything. It just means remembering.
I thought that perhaps that is what supports a person's heart.

I live in the countryside.
Having experienced the earthquake myself, this film did not feel like someone else's story.
While watching, the scenery of my own town and the faces of people came to mind many times.

What it means to "live here."
What it means to "have been raised by this place."
It became a time to re-examine those things.

Even in a small town where the days flow slowly,
there are things I truly do not want to forget.
And I am very happy now to have encountered a film that allows me to remember them.