What an interesting movie about loss and redemption by remembering the inherent radiance of all things and all experiences.
I had seen Kawase's "Sweet Bean" and really enjoyed it.
Yet, although this film, too, is about disability and those who live on the margins, the healing nature of the film lies in the character arc of the female protagonist to go through her own emotions of redemption and loss to begin to see those who are marginalized as equal, complex human beings, through the eyes of compassion, as opposed to a "rescue" mode, where she tried to initially insert uplifting didactic messages in an audio version of a film she is preparing for the visually impaired.
It's through compassion and a belief in the joint radiance of humanity, in spite of the challenges, hopes and losses of the human experience that we can find compassion and hope.
Radiance is a movie for the times of Covid. Our common humanity, our joint experiences of the ups and downs of life can be the bridge for healing the antagonisms and tribal frequencies that have been rife in this time of uncertainty and fear.
The Sun is always there, providing radiance.
