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Hold Me Back
Institute of Contemporary Arts
A younger person and an older person say prayers on a street in Tokyo
Hold Me Back 私をくいとめて, dir. Akiko Ohku, Japan 2020, 133 min., Japanese with English subtitles, PG © 2020 “Hold Me Back” Film Partners


Thirty-one-year-old Mitsuko (Non) is, on the surface, enjoying her solo life. She cooks for herself, dines on her own, goes to the spa alone, and visits her friend in Italy all by herself. But she is not as alone as you may think. She has her own adviser in her head with whom she often holds conversations: ‘A’ (voiced by Tomoya Nakamura). A provides Mitsuko with answers when she feels insecure. It seemed that her peaceful single life with A will continue unchanged until she falls in love with Tada (Kento Hayashi), a young salesman. Mitsuko decides to take a step forward together with her inner A. Will she be able to break out of her comfort zone of being alone?

Based on a novel by Risa Wataya, this film portrays the life of the ever-growing unmarried solos in Tokyo. Gaining sympathy from the large singles community both inside and outside of Japan, this award-winning film handles the hidden loneliness of a young woman in Japanese contemporary society with a humorous tone.
 
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