Work on the Grass

Two young men cut grass in what appears to be a huge countryside park. The younger, more butch one is a pro; he does this every day. The other, slightly nerdy and clumsy with the equipment, is a temp; he wants to be a writer. The day starts badly, but they reach a truce during lunchbreak. And then, in the afternoon, they drift towards - what? Emotional intimacy? Sex? A glimmer of mutual understanding? Shinohara's prizewinning short shows the collision of two personalities, two approaches to life, and yields some moving and curiously melancholy perceptions of the world as young men see it. A minor classic of Japanese indie cinema.