On the way up the hill
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A heart monitor beeps softly in the distance. As the sound slowly fades away, a young girl quietly closes her eyes — and enters her final dream. Memories from her three years of high school begin to come back to her. This is the story of the footsteps a young girl left behind in her youth.
- Director
- Yuta Ito
- Time
- 0:18:00
- Country
- Japan
- Genre
- Drama
- Year
- 2026
- Cast
- Marina Seto Reika Nishihata
Awards Nominations
Vertical film “Osana-najimi” TikTok TOHO Film Festival 2022 (Japan) Won Audience Award
Vertical film “Soumatou” World Short Drama Awards (International) Won Grand Prix / Nikon Vertical Movie Award (Japan) Won Jury Prize
Director
Yuta Ito
He has been working as a film director since the age of 19, and has created original works and feature films as a producer, screenwriter, and director. In 2022, he received the Audience Award at the TikTok TOHO Film Festival for the vertical film “Osana-najimi”, and for the vertical film “Soumatou”, he received the Grand Prix at the World Short Drama Awards as well as the Jury Prize at the Nikon Vertical Movie Award. His works include the film “Forget-me-not”, U-NEXT’s “Platonic Love”, and dramas such as “Sono shōgai no haji o shire!”, “Maria Sensei no Fukushu Counseling ”, “The Store That Sells Memories”, “Doppelganger”, “NIGEKANO”, and "Beyond the Unknown”, among many others.
Cast
Marina Seto Reika Nishihata
Screening
Screening Venue
| Venue | Schedule | Ticket Reservation |
|---|---|---|
| MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives | 2026.05.26 [Tue] 13:00−14:00 | |
| MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives | 2026.05.28 [Tue] 13:00−14:00 | |
| MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives | 2026.05.30 [Sat] 13:00−14:00 |
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Recommended comments
The key highlight of the film is the final elevator scene. The themes of “time” and “life choices,” explored throughout the story, come together in this moment. Inside the small space of the elevator, the character faces a clear but symbolic choice: to move forward or to reach an end. Whether to go up or down is not shown, leaving the decision to the audience. Because of this, the scene is not just an ending, but a question: “What would you choose?” While reflecting the meaning of the title, “Life Is Still in Progress,” the final scene gently connects with each viewer’s own life, leaving a strong and lasting impression as the film’s main strength.