Write a short summary of what happens in the film.

In this 60-second commercial for the Japanese soft drink Pocari Sweat, we tell the story of a young girl’s journey to self-realization, and depict the fantasy world that is her mental land-scape in a realistic and visceral way. The scene is a typical Japanese school, where we show our heroine running against the wind (and the direction most of her classmates are taking) down a long undulating hallway. She hesitates briefly before bursting out into a flower-filled courtyard where the headwind she had been facing becomes a tailwind driving her for-ward to join her best friend on the school auditorium stage. There the two join hands and twirl joyfully in the air before descending the stage and running through a crowd of classmates and into the sunny world outside. In the final cut, our heroine enjoys a refreshing drink of Pocari Sweat.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Pocari Sweat is a soft drink formulated to restore electrolyte balance and aid rehydration after physical exertion or illness. Introduced in Japan in 1980, it has since gone on to become one of the nation’s top-selling non-alcoholic beverages. Its refreshing citrus flavor has also proved popular overseas, and it is now sold in more than 20 countries in Asia and the Middle East. In Japan, sales have traditionally been driven by advertising that depicts young people engaging in challenging and often physically demanding activities.

Tell the jury about the production design / art direction.

To depict the fantasy world of our heroine's mental landscape, we built an 85-meter-long set of a school hallway and courtyard. We equipped the set with a flexible floor that was made to undulate by staff members standing on either side as the heroine ran the length of the set. Filming was done with a handheld camera to heighten the realism and physicality of her journey. Wind was also an important element of expression in the production. In the school corridor, fluttering strip curtains were used to create the impression of a headwind, and the door leading to the courtyard was deformed to express the strength of the wind. In the courtyard outside, wisteria and cherry blossoms show the headwind changing a tailwind as our heroine runs, and wire action was seamlessly incorporated into the sequence to dynamically depict her joyful reunion with her friend.