49
165
10
The Butterfly
"We're just like everybody else"
37 Seconds was billed as a sexual liberation story for a young woman with cerebral palsy. While the film acknowledged that Yuma had desires like any other woman, for a film often set in the red-light district it was surprisingly chaste. This was a coming of age film as Yuma sought to break free from her mother's control and explore the world that couldn't see her as a real woman.
Twenty-three-year-old Yuma leads an insular and highly controlled life. She works as a manga artist for her friend, Sayaka. What the world doesn’t know is that Sayaka can’t draw or write stories, Yuma does it all. Sayaka merely plays the part on YouTube and keeps Yuma a well-guarded secret. At home, her mother cares for and treats her like a child refusing to let her have long hair, use makeup, or wear dresses. When Yuma attempts to sell a manga idea she’s told to stop copying Sayaka’s work and be unique. She ends up at an erotica manga publication. The editor likes her work but tells her she needs some sexual experience to understand what they want. Yuma starts breaking free from her mother and Sayaka when she meets sex worker Mai and her assistant Toshi on a trip to the red-light district. Her new friends encourage her to explore what she likes and not be afraid to try new experiences. Advice her mother will absolutely not agree with.
This film was decidedly aided by hiring Kayama Mei, a woman who has cerebral palsy, instead of an actress mimicking what she thinks CP looks like. Kayama with her delicate voice showed Yuma's resolve as she fought to live her life for herself. Yuma wanted to be seen and heard, something her mother was afraid of. A gifted artist she was closeted away by her “friend.” The film bestowed Yuma with enormously helpful new friends which may not have been realistic but they provided her a gateway to independence. There were a couple of adult moments if you are sensitive to such subjects, when Yuma attempted to hire a sex worker and later when she and Mai visited a sex toy shop. Films about people with handicaps can be condescending and patronizing. 37 Seconds managed to avoid those pitfalls. Soft spoken Yuma demonstrated to herself and others that she was strong and despite her physical limitations, she was just like everyone else. Her transformation as she gained confidence was beautiful to watch. I loved Mai’s words to her, “You’ve taken a big step. Better not f*ck it up.” Of course, most of do on occasion whatever our life circumstances.
Yuma made friends, carved out a professional path for herself, gained independence, and even had an adventure to Thailand. She learned that sometimes you need to know where you’ve been in order to figure out where you want to go. 37 Seconds can be gone in an instant or its effects can last a lifetime. The memory of this tender, unique coming of age film will linger far longer than the title.
13 August 2024
Twenty-three-year-old Yuma leads an insular and highly controlled life. She works as a manga artist for her friend, Sayaka. What the world doesn’t know is that Sayaka can’t draw or write stories, Yuma does it all. Sayaka merely plays the part on YouTube and keeps Yuma a well-guarded secret. At home, her mother cares for and treats her like a child refusing to let her have long hair, use makeup, or wear dresses. When Yuma attempts to sell a manga idea she’s told to stop copying Sayaka’s work and be unique. She ends up at an erotica manga publication. The editor likes her work but tells her she needs some sexual experience to understand what they want. Yuma starts breaking free from her mother and Sayaka when she meets sex worker Mai and her assistant Toshi on a trip to the red-light district. Her new friends encourage her to explore what she likes and not be afraid to try new experiences. Advice her mother will absolutely not agree with.
This film was decidedly aided by hiring Kayama Mei, a woman who has cerebral palsy, instead of an actress mimicking what she thinks CP looks like. Kayama with her delicate voice showed Yuma's resolve as she fought to live her life for herself. Yuma wanted to be seen and heard, something her mother was afraid of. A gifted artist she was closeted away by her “friend.” The film bestowed Yuma with enormously helpful new friends which may not have been realistic but they provided her a gateway to independence. There were a couple of adult moments if you are sensitive to such subjects, when Yuma attempted to hire a sex worker and later when she and Mai visited a sex toy shop. Films about people with handicaps can be condescending and patronizing. 37 Seconds managed to avoid those pitfalls. Soft spoken Yuma demonstrated to herself and others that she was strong and despite her physical limitations, she was just like everyone else. Her transformation as she gained confidence was beautiful to watch. I loved Mai’s words to her, “You’ve taken a big step. Better not f*ck it up.” Of course, most of do on occasion whatever our life circumstances.
Yuma made friends, carved out a professional path for herself, gained independence, and even had an adventure to Thailand. She learned that sometimes you need to know where you’ve been in order to figure out where you want to go. 37 Seconds can be gone in an instant or its effects can last a lifetime. The memory of this tender, unique coming of age film will linger far longer than the title.
13 August 2024
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