Short films are capable of gathering one’s attention span without interrupting everyday life. Considering the fast-paced world we live in and being constantly focused on our average 5.5 inch screens, we hardly ever look up and recognise the small yet valuable things that surround us. Even a simple day trip to your hometown with a friend can help a person reinvigorate their desire to admire the wonderful life he or she might have.

Short films such as the one we feature today on the Leica blog is easy to relate to because it holds that element of uninterrupted storytelling, helping the viewer identify with the person, the situation, and the aesthetics of the film helps to enhance this. Fully shot with the fast and sturdy Leica SL, Japanese photographer and film maker Shingo Wakagi takes us on a road trip to his hometown Hamamatsu.

Located 160 miles southwest of Tokyo, Hamamatsu is home to a number of global companies hosting several festivals ranging from music, dance and traditional. Yet, to Shingo, it continues to be the place he calls home where he photographs his parents, their eagerness to have his son close for a longer period of time, or the impressions of his friend.

The road to Hamamatsu is also a great opportunity to depict the versatility of the equipment he carries with him, the Leica SL. Shingo mentions “it’s the perfect camera for a road movie thanks to its fast and oustanding autofocus performance”. True to his statement, the SL boasts in features that make almost any creative endeavour seem easy to the viewer. For instance, the color rendering , depth of field when in motion, and the strong contrast in low-lit situations make every segment of the clip exciting to watch.

With very little panning and virtuous hand-held skills, the story goes smoothly through a set of pit stops until the friends reach their destination. Eager to know first impressions, Shingo continues to draw upon the notion of being back home, reconnecting to his parents, what he sees and what he expects. A short film which in a little less than 4 minutes makes you question the same things Shingo mentions: “It doesn’t happen often that one can experience both sunrise and sunset in a single day”. Making a sweet remark about his parents asking Shingo if he will “stay a little longer this time”, the film ends with a beautiful sunset on the coastal line of Hamamatsu with the phrase “a place so close and yet so far away”. Storytelling in its purest form: a day on the road with friends, visiting your hometown, living life, and documenting it with the best possible camera for the job.

To know more about Shingo please visit his website