Sheep in the box

Another take by the Japanese director on the theme of death. Here, the focus is on the grief of those left behind who cannot find peace: a couple have lost their son, Kakeru. She is an architect; he works for a construction firm. They live in an ultra-modern, chic house; the child’s room and books are still there. She discovers that a cutting-edge company promises humanoid robots capable of replicating the features and voices of the deceased. Unable to resist the temptation, she immediately orders a clone of Kakeru. Perfect in appearance, he has a great deal to learn about forming attachments, but shows a precocious interest in architecture and art. If we were to compare this “Sheep in the Box” with an older film by the Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda (born 1962), we might say it was created by placing other people’s knowledge inside its skull. This turns the situation on its head compared to a 1998 film titled “Afterlife”: in that film, the dead were entitled to an indelible memory. Just one, to be chosen immediately after – let’s call it – the transition (of course, there were also those who were undecided: the first kiss or the partner of a lifetime?). Kakeru’s clone arrives home in a box; he seems perfect and well-mannered. But the boy has his own curiosities, and not everyone in his presence is entirely at ease. His father, for example, shows a certain reluctance. Even setting aside the light switch behind his head. And the all-too-clever boy asks: “Can I call you Dad?”