Forum of Independents competition - THE ARK IN THE MIRAGE by Yasumoto Chikuma

Social disenchantment, alienation and confusion. These are the themes presented in Yasutomo Chikuma's feature The Ark in the Mirage, which had its world premiere in the Forum of Independents competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Yasutomo Chikuma stretches the boundaries of cinema with his latest offering, The Ark in the Mirage, through an experimental drama mostly driven by feelings rather than a deductive storyline. Essentially, the film revolves around a young man experiencing disenchantment because of an essential lack of dreams and fulfillment of ambition. 

However, the reason why he ends up involved in a gang of hoodlum exploiting elderly, vulnerable old men and stealing the bulk of their retirement money is one of the many grey areas of the feature, that aims to achieve a connection with the audience by actively seeking interaction with it through elements that mix a straightforward narrative arch with more artistic examinations. This results in a starkly contrasting mixture of styles, represented even by the fact that the main storyline is shot in colour while the metaphorical parallel one is shot in black and white.

The Ark in the Mirage is not an easy film to watch. It takes a while to understand the concept, and the viewer should find that the filmmaker is mostly interested in disguising his intentions of reflection on modern existance, themes of exploitation and undignified living to the point where it's hard to truly engage with it. 

While it is true that perhaps this might be the overall intention of the film, with the viewers feeling the drag experienced by the characters on screen - the perpetrators and the vitims, each one gravely disillusioned in their own way - it certainly lacks provocation, particularly with its trivial hints at a more spiritual and mythical message. Therefore, it feels empty and lacking in focus and struggling to remain interesting throughout, or even come across as particularly rewardingly poetic.