This Magic Moment

Lim Kah Wai, director of Your Lovely Smile, embarks on a similar journey as the protagonist in his film, visiting dozens of mini theatres from Okinawa to Hokkaido. Lim is not pitching his new film, but meeting the staff and owners of the theatres to make a documentary about how they struggle in the shrinking market. In empty cinema houses, the people speak of the common and personal challenges they encounter. Although they might have made different decisions – whether to hang on or move on, they share a pure love for and a genuine belief in cinema that they wish to pass on to the next generation.

• Kah-Wai LimDirector