Mikage and Natsuna are teenage girls who meet in the school infirmary. Young Mikage is a docile, hardworking student, eager to match up to her parents’ expectations. She plans to spend her time in the infirmary studying for her entrance examinations so that she can get a high school education, because that’s what society expects of her to become a complete individual. Natsuna has a free spirit that allows her to live life on her terms. The confused Mikage soon envies the courage of Natsuna, and they form a deep friendship during their stay together at the infirmary. They explore things around them and even decide to run away from the infirmary to live together. Unhappy at the fun and frolic of the girls, their teacher takes them to task, lecturing them about the right code of conduct and reproaches them for being irresponsible. An important event in Mikage’s life soon turns things around for the two of them, and they find themselves in the school counsellor’s office accused of theft.
‘Run Through the Night’ is a narrative short by Director Izumi Funasaki. Funasaki tells a true coming of age story rooted in the disconcerting emotions that play out in the adolescent mind. Funasaki shows mastery of the craft by establishing her characters well, giving us deep insights into their inner conflict and endearing them to us quite early in the film. Performances by the artists have also helped to this cause. The minimal use of music also helps focus the attention on the subtle changes that are underway in Mikage’s character and in her relationship with Natsuna.
Funasaki writes that the inspiration for the film stems from her experiences in high school and the conflict within during that age when one ceases to be a child and enters an adult body and mind.
