Kore-eda explores 'relationships and belief' through sci-fi in 'The Boy and the Heron'

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda's latest film, 'The Boy and the Heron,' delves into profound questions about relationships and belief, using a science fiction premise to explore the complexities of human connection. The narrative draws a parallel to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's 'The Little Prince,' where a drawing of a sheep in a box suffices for the prince, suggesting that what is unseen can still be powerfully present.

The film is set in a near future where drone delivery is commonplace. It follows a middle-class couple, Otone and Gensuke, grappling with the grief of losing their child two years prior. They decide to bring a humanoid replica of their 7-year-old son, Kakeru, into their home. Otone readily accepts the replica, but soon notices Kakeru exhibiting behaviors that deviate from a typical child, making her feel uneasy. Gensuke, initially distant and reminding the replica it's just a machine, finds his own emotions stirred as guilt over his deceased son resurfaces.

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Can you, even if you don't see it, imagine the existence in the box?

While the premise of a replica of a lost child might evoke comparisons to Steven Spielberg's 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence,' Kore-eda's Kakeru, influenced by the advent of generative AI, feels more like an independent entity. Kakeru quickly learns to read his mother's emotions, a trait that unsettles Otone, while Kakeru himself begins to feel a sense of kinship with other humanoids in similar circumstances.

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I understand the desperate desire of those left behind to meet again, but at the same time, I wondered whose existence the deceased person's being belongs to.

Kore-eda stated that the film was conceived after reading foreign press reports about popular businesses that resurrect the deceased using generative AI. While he understands the deep desire of the bereaved to reconnect, he questions who truly owns the existence of those who have passed. The film transcends discussions about technological advancements or the future of AI replacing humans, posing fundamental questions about coexisting with different beings and what it means to be human.

The director noted that even within a marriage, partners can be 'different beings,' much like parents must accept their children's independence as they grow. The emotional journey of Otone and Gensuke as they react to Kakeru's changes mirrors the parental experience of watching a child mature and separate. Ultimately, 'The Boy and the Heron' posits that in a future where technology may widen interpersonal gaps, the human capacity for imagination, the ability to believe in what is unseen, like the sheep in the box, is what will preserve our humanity.

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People and humanoids are different beings, and even husband and wife are different beings. A child growing up and becoming independent from parents is also a process for parents to accept their child as a different being.