Poetics of the Garden

Poetics of the Garden is a deeply personal animated short film that explores the shifting dynamics between a parent and child as time reshapes their bond. The narrator reflects on the lingering memory of a parent's hand resting gently against their back during childhood, a gesture of quiet comfort and protection. Now, the roles have reversed; the narrator places their own hand upon the aging parent's back, which has become bent and frail from pain. This intimate exchange serves as the emotional core of the story, capturing the inevitable passage of time and the tender weight of caregiving. Drawing a poignant parallel to traditional landscaped gardens—spaces carefully designed to mirror the four seasons and the cyclical wonders of nature—the film uses this imagery to frame the human experience of aging and renewal. As the narrator gazes at their diminished parent, they search for traces of the people they once were to each other, hoping to rediscover their connection one final time amidst the turning seasons of life. It is a meditation on memory, loss, and the enduring desire to find our loved ones again even as they change. This work was produced in 2022 as a graduate project at Tokyo University of the Arts, within the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Department of Animation.