16. 📽 Thoughts after watching the movie 'All the Long Nights'

I watched the movie after attending the afternoon session of the stage greeting.

Truly caring for someone. I feel that if it is just a conscious effort, it can sometimes seem shallow or be perceived as meddling. That is precisely why I think many people hesitate to reach out, even when they unconsciously notice something that concerns them.

By the way, how much gratitude do people living in the modern age feel in their daily lives? There is an abundance of things to be grateful for, both around us and within ourselves. Let's try listing ten things to be grateful for every night before going to sleep. If that is not easy, we should consider that the sensitivity of our antenna for feeling gratitude has declined. While surviving in modern society, has the sensitivity of our antenna for feeling dissatisfaction become too sharp? Has the world become such a place?

I believe that as we improve the sensitivity of our antenna for feeling gratitude, the feeling of caring for someone will reach their heart naturally and at the right time, without force. This is because I think the source of the feeling of caring for others resides in the sensitivity of our own hearts to feel gratitude every day. The feeling of caring for someone and the feeling of caring for oneself are two sides of the same coin. That is why this film made me rethink the importance of maintaining the sensitivity of our antenna for feeling gratitude every day—it is a sensitivity that allows us to feel happiness ourselves and also makes those around us happy.

In closing, come to think of it, during the stage greeting, whenever Director Miyake was asked to speak, he always expressed words of gratitude. Those words even extended to showing appreciation for the staff who are delivering the film to audiences in theaters across the country. I feel that it was precisely because it was a film directed by such a person that it was finished as a work where one could feel that level of warmth.
　
In modern times, the world has become truly convenient. However, the essence of human beings (the heart) itself does not seem to have fundamentally changed since ancient times. But perhaps this is because it is better not to change in order to continue holding onto the feeling of gratitude; I think so as well. That is why I hope Director Sho Miyake will continue to use his films to keep asking people in the world about the state of mind necessary for people living in the modern age to live more happily.

Finally, I would like to end these thoughts with a heart full of gratitude toward the original author, Maiko Seo, the lead actors Hokuto Matsumura and Mone Kamishiraishi, all other people involved in the film, and everyone who has posted their impressions. Thank you very much.

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All the Long Nights [Details]