The Things That Vanish 消えたものたち

The Things That Vanish

消えたものたち

Japan | 2026 | Fiction | 14 min | Japanese

Director: Kenta Ikeda

Screenwriter: Kenta Ikeda

Producer: Kenta Ikeda

Cinematographer: Yasuyuki Sasaki

Art Director: Mizuho Ikeda

Editor: Kenta Ikeda

Sound: Akiko Muto

Starring: An Ogawa, Natsue Hyakumoto, Kyoko Takahashi, Seiki Katayama

导演：池田健太

编剧：池田健太

制片：池田健太

摄影指导：佐々木靖之

美术指导：池田みづほ

剪辑：池田健太

声音：武藤晶子

主演：小川あん，百元夏繪，高橋恭子，潟山セイキ

Synopsis

Michi, a young domestic worker who secretly steals small keepsakes from her clients, finds her quiet routine disrupted when a long-lost watch reappears in the home of an elderly woman with dementia. As the family returns to settle affairs, Michi must navigate the fragile border between taking and holding on.

Festival&Award

Busan International Film Festival 2026

Wide Angle - Offcial Selection

Director's Note

I’m drawn to what disappears and what remains—the fragile border between memory and presence. Michi cleans and steals small objects, an almost ritual attempt to make herself whole. Through restrained images, natural light, and everyday sounds, the film observes how objects carry memory and care. Rather than judging her actions, I seek a tender clarity: when taking becomes a way of reaching for something, and disappearance becomes a form of holding on.

Kenta Ikeda

Kenta Ikeda studied film at California State University, Long Beach after beginning in computer science at Osaka University. He apprenticed under director Shunji Iwai during Vampire (2011) before returning to Japan to develop his own cinematic language. His short films have screened at international festivals, while his debut feature Strangers (2024) was praised by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. His latest film, The Things That Vanish, continues his exploration of memory and presence.