The Seagull Diner (Kamome Shokudo)

Written and directed by Naoko Ogigami, though adapted from an original story by Yoko Mure, The Seagull Diner traces the daily life of Sachie (Satomi Kobayashi) who is trying to make a living in Helsinki, Finland with her small diner. But good fortune hasn’t been on her side. She’s had no customers and boredom has set in despite her efforts to maintain a welcoming eatery. One day she’s suddenly caught off guard when a young man and anime enthusiast named Tommi (Jarkko Niemi) stops by and asks for a coffee. Being able to converse in Japanese the first thing he asks her is if she knows the lyrics to the Gatchaman theme song, to which she demonstrates she’s forgotten. Tommi goes on his merry way, but he remains a regular customer from that day forth. Sachie finds herself being frustrated at having the opening lyrics of this song stuck on repeat in her head, but luck smiles upon her when she stops by a book store and sees a Japanese woman quietly reading a Moomin novel to herself. Sachie asks her if she knows the lyrics to the song, and thankfully she does. The woman’s name is Midori (Hairi Katagiri) and she’s only been in Finland for a short while. Soon enough the pair strikes up a friendship and Sachie invites Midori to stay with her and help out with the business. Soon enough one or two customers begin to enter the diner, with a man named Matti (Markuu Peltola) kindly teaching Sachie how to brew the perfect blend of coffee, the smell of which is soon noticed by passers by.

Meanwhile an eccentric and fairly indecisive Japanese woman by the name of Masako (Masako Motai) finds herself stranded in Helsinki when her luggage goes missing in transit. Fate brings her to the small “Kamome Shokudo”, where she exchanges pleasantries with Sachie and Midori, until she too decides to stay a little longer and take in the fresh air. As business picks up more and more people begin to frequent the diner, some of whom brings smiles of joy, while others, such as the mysterious Liisa (Tarja Markus) bring cause for concern. But Sachie, Midori and Masako find that if they apply themselves and their culture to their work they can change peoples’ lives for the better.


The Seagull Diner (Kamome Shokudo, also translated from the Finnish Ruokala Lokki as Canteen Gull) was one of the surprise hits of the year in Japan, enjoying impressive box office success and positive word of mouth, despite being a small, independent and jointly produced feature between Finland and Japan. The film doesn’t scream success, it seemingly has no immediate pulling power and yet once we take it up on its offer we’re whisked away on a pleasant journey, one that in fact illustrates the sense of longing and desire that many of us share: finding a place in the world, feeling welcomed, living the dream that we so desperately aspire to living out. For some people those ambitions are grand, for others they simply wish to enjoy a different kind of pace, a fresh breeze or to find their true calling in life, despite what daunting paths may lay ahead of them.

Naoko Ogigawa, following on from Love is Five, Seven, Five! and her debut feature from 2004 Barber Yoshino sets up a familiar fish out of water scenario, though here the quaint surroundings of Helsinki provide welcome new ground, with huge support from a predominant Finnish production crew. Ogigawa, who is no stranger to overseas life, having studied in California for six years, seems to place a great amount of enthusiasm, knowledge and personal insights throughout the picture as it looks at the lives of three lost souls who gather in perhaps the unlikeliest of places. Certainly the way in which Ogigawa sets up her acts is coincidental at best, though it’s merely providing the foundation for the events that are to unfold and the overall message that she wishes to convey. Likewise despite Helsinki being integral to the production it isn’t featured on a wide scale; it simply isn’t the star, never overshadowing events. The director doesn’t take us through sweeping vistas, showing off all the hot spots and drawing out particular scenery, but instead provides a far more intimate look in a rather quaint fashion, with Cinematographer Tuomo Virtanen capturing a nice slice of Helsinki life. Finland doesn’t necessarily have to be the focal point of the film and indeed it isn’t, being used here as an example of how different cultures can be brought together as easily as one can click their fingers. The diner itself is where much of the “action” takes place. It’s almost reflective of a stage-like quality with the characters largely being the sole focus. It’s authentically staged, however, being shot entirely on location, but it’s also a testament to Ogigawa who never for an instant forgets about the importance of her characters and why they’re here.


And of course that’s The Seagull Diner’s ultimate strength; its characters are engaging, they have real discussions, sometimes about the most mundane things, which somehow prove to be anything but within the context of what we’re seeing. Even a conversation about the lyrics to seventies anime hit Gatchaman proves to be funny and entirely relevant subject matter, as it highlights a common cultural bond, spanning two distinct sides of the globe. Subtlety is the key and Ogigawa maintains a solid level of consistency throughout. Commendably she avoids potentially lethal pitfalls, by which I mean not injecting the film with manipulative bouts of sentimentality; it does have its moments, but they’re genuinely satisfying and never sink into melodrama. Underlying these figures are some interesting philosophies. At one point Sachie asks Midori what she’d do if she knew the world would end tomorrow, to which she replies that she’d eat the finest meal ever. There’s an underlying sense that from then forth these women decide to start living their lives by treating every single day as if it were their last on Earth, and it’s something that’s delicately handled. As these woman progress and settle we find that the simple things in life are all we need to brighten our days, whether it be the fine taste of coffee in the morning, or a freshly baked bun; it’s a language we all share and it’s an issue that the director clearly wishes to make her point with, especially when introducing subsequent characters. A moment occurs much later in the film when a strange woman named Liisa enters the scene and Masako is called upon to help. She doesn’t speak a lick of Finnish and Liisa isn’t versed in Japanese, yet the pair strike up a relationship forged on a common understanding, a spiritual tie, or more importantly both of them serving one another by simply providing a shoulder to cry on. Stripping away the layers Ogigawa shows us in the simplest of forms how we, as regular people, can offer so much more to others if only we could break down the obvious barriers.

Unsurprisingly The Seagull Diner is not without its tasty metaphors and during the final act things take quite a turn from the norm with some interesting abstracticities (just go with it) and symbolism. Up until this point the film has kept primarily low key, but it soon enters the realm of surrealism in order to bring some kind of catharsis to one or two of its characters, whose destinies are still riding on a cloud of uncertainty. But it’s all achieved in a cute and emotionally satisfying manner, with Tetsuo Kondo’s terrific score setting just the right balance for us to be swept away without becoming too bogged down by it. Thanks to the performances of its three stars, each of whom play middle-aged women facing a kind of mid-life crisis, The Seagull Diner rises up against the human spirit like a freshly baked cinnamon roll, waiting to be devoured by one who appreciates its doughyness.


The DVD

The Seagull Diner has been released in Japan through VAP Video. We’re taking a look at this attractively packaged three disc set, which despite that fact isn’t strictly a limited special edition. The discs are placed on a nicely designed digi-pack, which comes encased in a thick, sturdy slip cover. Also included is a map of Helsinki which points out all the main attractions, with relevant contact info. A nice little sticker featuring caricatures of the main cast is also included.

A/V

There’s very little to fault here, with the film being presented anamorphically in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Colours are suitably vibrant and although much of the film takes place in the sky blue and white diner, the brief shots of Helsinki’s cityscape and forests carry a great deal of beauty which has been given a lot of care and attention here. There is a slight downside in that we have a spot of edge enhancement, but with solid flesh tones, strong black levels and nice contrast there’s little to get in the way of the delicate visuals.

Japanese Dolby Digital is our one and only track of choice, but we have a perfectly appropriate offering which does more than enough to capture the film’s many nuances. Clarity in dialogue is excellent and Tatsuro Kondo’s score is lively and fresh, being channelled with subtlety. Obviously The Seagull Diner relies mainly on its copious discussion and so there’s no great need for higher surround use. It delivers where it has to and carries an intimate quality which is maintained throughout.

Optional subtitles in English are included. Both Japanese and Finnish dialogue appears as generated subs, with only a couple of word omissions being noticeable, though it’s simply a case of having to complete a sentence yourself by inserting the obvious. It’s a rare occasion and I only counted two instances, so there’s very little to worry about. Overall it’s a solid translation for what is relatively simple dialogue.

Extras

Disc one contains the theatrical trailer and six TV spots, while disc two is home to a forty minute narrated documentary on the film’s location. Unfortunately it lacks English subtitles, as to be expected, but it’s still interesting to watch. Most of it features conversing in Japanese, although interviews with the local Finnish are actually conducted in English. We’re taken on quite the sight seeing tour, to places like Nuuksio National Park and Helsinki marketplaces, along with various diners and shops and even a music festival. In-between we see some rehearsal footage. On the whole isn’t a look at the making of the film; there are no interviews with cast and crew members, but footage of them taking in Helsinki. This is quite unusual, then, as it appears to be quite the promotional piece for Finland, although with that said it certainly does a grand job in enticing the viewer. I may just find myself looking into a holiday there.

The third disc runs for merely five minutes and is a short film entitled “Megane” (Glasses) by Ogigawa, featuring Satomi Kobayashi. Again there are no English subtitles.


Overall

The Seagull Diner is a simple tale, one that illustrates its message quite deliberately, though sincerely, and presents a roster of likeable people while doing so. What it has to say is particularly relevant. It proves that no matter whom people are or where they’re from there is always a way to communicate their feelings and that each of us can be brought together through something as simple as the pleasures of food. Above all Naoko Ogigami perfectly hits the right balance of humour and well intended sentiments; we might miss the things that we leave behind, but deep down home is truly where the heart is.

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