A little bear learns that springtime with grandma has an expiration date.
In the spring of 2020, Yugo's Grandmother travels from the countryside to finally spend some quality time with Yugo. The two see a "comedy show" in the park together and later that night, Yugo has a good time telling his family about his day out. However, the next day Covid-19 restrictions are put in place in town and Yugo is stuck at home. Then, he learns that his grandmother is not feeling well. At first, Yugo patiently waits at home for things to return to normal, but eventually he gets bored and silently slips out of the house…
Direction
Murata's patient puppetry makes 18 minutes feel like a lifetime.
Production
Hand-crafted bears in masks—2020 distilled into felt and longing.
Director
Tomoyasu Murata
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released when Japan's elderly COVID death toll was devastating; Murata made grief visible for children who couldn't attend funerals.
Yugo's 'boredom' breaking quarantine mirrors real children's pandemic behavior—innocent defiance with irreversible consequences.
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