Aftersomemisunderstanding,SakaguchiishiredtomakeatouristguidevideoonTobako(afictitiousnameforKawaguchi)intheoutskirtsofTokyo.Thiselementinthescriptsparksoffafancifulwanderingstrewnwithunexpectedmeetings.FirstwithKitagawa,thankstowhomSakaguchilandedthejob.Thenwithaseamstress,andthenwithYoshino,withwhomahalf-heartedromanceemerges.Thusthenarrativeunfolds,inhaltsandswerves,espousingunexpectedmeetings,andofferingthestrollingcharacteranopportunityfordisplacementsfromoneplacetothenext.Thedesertedtownhascometoastandstill–theshootingtookplaceduringthelockdown–andthisactsasametaphorfortheidlenessofthecharacters.GardenSandboxislightandnimble,whereasitsmaincharacterhasalimp.Herdemeanourandherstiffbodyexudeapeculiarquality,somewhatcomicallyatoddswiththesetting.Apatheticallyplayingalong,theyoungwomangleansfromeachcharactersomepiecesofinformationaboutthetownand,then,touchbytouchshedelineatesitspicture:ultimately,theplacecomesacrossasapost-industriallocalewhosefoundriesarenowobsolete.Sakaguchi’sverymeanderingsleadhertoarichfamily’shouseforasewinglesson.Inthispivotalscene,theladyofthehouseinviteshertodonanupper-classweddingdress.Throughagesturebothradicalandpowerful,whichitselfinformsthedynamicofthefilmasawhole,agleefulsnipofthescissorstransformstheitemofclothingintotheultimatechicofhaute-couturedesign.WhatweavestogetherthistruantescapewhosemotifsandfabricseeminspiredbyJacquesRozier’sfilms,acrumblingindustrialheritageandthetransformingofatraditionalweddingdress?WithGardenSandbox,whosetitleisareferencetothetypeofsandusedinthefoundries,joyfullyandplayfully,YukinoriKurokawainterrogatestheconceptsofmutationand(re)useassourcesofboundlesspossibilities.(ClaireLasolle)
