Silence and (dis) connection | Film Screening: Perfect Days

Session 1: 08 PM, Fri 01 May 2026
Session 2: 08 PM, Sun 03 May 2026
White Light Cinéhub
Floor 3, COMPLEX 01
29/31/167 Tây Sơn, Hà Nội
Registration link (each registration is for 01 guest only)

From the organizer:

Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. A deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.

PERFECT DAYS (T13)

Wim Wenders, 2023
Genre: Drama
Duration: 125’
Language: Japanese with Vietnamese and English subtitles
The film is suitable for children under 13 when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian

In 2022, Wim Wenders was invited to Japan to direct a series of short documentaries promoting The Tokyo Toilet, a project comprising seventeen public restrooms in the Shibuya district designed by renowned architects. As society was just emerging from the shadow of the pandemic, the German auteur was profoundly struck by how “these intersections of art and public utility” reflected the Japanese ethos of communal care. From this revelation, a feature-length film was born. And at its center stands Hirayama – perhaps the most idealized figure in all of Wenders’ cinema – incarnated as a janitor who appears to have found fulfillment in a humble occupation and a life of radical simplicity.

Shot over sixteen days with a handheld camera, Perfect Days is virtually devoid of overt dramatic incidents. Instead, it devotes the majority of its runtime to patiently observing the cleaner as he diligently performs each task, one by one. He carries out his routine with an attentiveness and a serenity toward existence that inevitably calls to mind an ascetic monk, in the purest sense of the word. Perfect Days is also a film of trees, wind, and sunlight. Its working title was komorebi – a Japanese word capturing the interplay of light filtering through the leaves of trees, existing for a fleeting moment before vanishing. In a sense, the film represents Wenders’ attempt to capture the komorebi of an ordinary life. Within that profound tranquility, joy and sorrow continue to alternate, just as naturally as light and shadow piercing through the canopy.

Tăng Linh

About Silence and (dis) connection:

Silence and (dis) connection is the outcome of An Open Draft – Asia Film Programmers Lab, an initiative launched by the Japan Foundation. Alongside its aim to promote cultural exchange through cinema, the project also seeks to nurture a new generation of film curators and programmers in Southeast Asia and Japan.

Centered on family, the program presents five films spanning several decades of Japanese society. Across these films run a series of averted gazes, unspoken words, and quiet distances that shape human relationships. Yet, it is often within these fractures that the possibility of reconnection emerges.

Note:
– Registration is limited to 36 audience. You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of completing registration. Please check your spam folder or contact the White Light Cinéhub Facebook page if you don’t receive it.
– Doors open 30 minutes before showtime for seating and drink selection. Late entry is accepted up to 15 minutes after the screening begins. Please arrive on time for the best experience.
– No outside food or drinks are permitted.
– By attending, guests consent to being photographed and quoted by the project for promotional purposes.
– Coupons are non-transferable and may not be resold under any circumstances.
– If you are unable to attend after registering, please inform us at least 72 hours in advance for refund and to allow your seat to be offered to another guest.

Silence and (dis) connection, organized by White Light Cinéhub with the sponsorship of the Japan Foundation and the media support of COMPLEX 01 and Hanoi Grapevine, introduces 05 selected films with theme of family in Japanese society from the 1950s to the present. The program includes film screenings and conversations, taking place from April 3 to May 3, 2026 at White Light Cinéhub (29/31/167 Tây Sơn, Hanoi).

Follow updates on event’s page.