Set in a Japan where humanoid AI is common after the spread of infectious diseases. Keiko Nogami, the humanoid who has long served the Koyama family, taking care of their daughter Airi and doing household chores, has recently been making many errors. Mother Riko wants to replace the humanoid with a new model, but Airi refuses.

©Yuriko Yamamoto

Director: Yuriko YAMAMOTO
Cast: Minami URUSHIBATA, Hono MIYABE, Aika KAMIMURA, Yuko INABA

2023 / Japan / 23min.

 

Keiko is the one who Airi has said good morning to every day since her childhood. Keiko does housework, cooks and teaches her. In a near future when physical contact between parents and children is prohibited, a humanoid AI is a child’s closest entity. The daughter feels so much affection for Keiko that she doesn’t want to accept an updated replacement, although her mother tries to convince her through a monitor. An updated Keiko will take over the memory banks, but will it still be Keiko after her body is renewed? Debut director Yuriko Yamamoto delivers, with minimal but effective VFX, this philosophically provocative story about memory and identity through the relationship between humans and AI. After studying at New Cinema Workshop, she became involved in TOKYO FILMeX as a volunteer and contributed to the screenplay of Japan-China-Korea co-production SORA (19). Keiko-san and I will have its world premiere at the festival.