NO ONE NOTICED!

On my way to work towards Shibuya, early in the morning, just like any other day, I was reading my news feed and a headline got my attention: ¨Man passes away on Tokyo train; no one notices until nearly 12 hours and 650 kilometers later,¨

What? I couldn´t believe it. But when I finished reading the story, I felt such a huge sadness that I couldn´t shake it off for the rest of the day. The poor man had woken up early that day, said goodbye to his wife, his daughter, and went to work. As soon as he sat in the train, he had a heart attack and died.

Silence... think of nothing, but silence...

All I kept on thinking was that ´I´ was that man. Almost everyday I do the same thing that he did that fateful morning. I eat my breakfast, I shave, I kiss my wife, my kids goodbye and head to work. Usually, I am 100% sure that I will return home to see my beautiful family by the end of the day. But that didn´t happen to him.

God damn! I kept on feeling such sadness for him, his family, his world. That´s why I wrote the following story. Inspired by him, inspired by all of us. The connection is just too powerful. So here it is,

The Last Journey

FADE IN

EXT. SHIBUYA - DAY

Beautiful shots of Shibuya line going past from above, below, out of the tunnel. As we see this we hear,

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

On May 11th, 2024, Hiroshi Tanaka boarded the train

 at Shibuya Station in downtown Tokyo at 8:02 that morning.

INT. TRAIN - DAY

Stationary shot: a MAN sitting alone by the window. Scenery outside blurs past. He's perfectly still, eyes closed.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

Hiroshi Tanaka. Father, 

Dreamlike shot - a child's drawing that says ¨I love you, daddy¨ on the refrigerator door.

NARRATOR (V,O,)

husband, 

Dreamlike shot - a wedding photo. Then a close up of his worn wedding ring.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

colleague. 

A work ID badge hanging on his chest + picture of him drinking with colleagues at an izakaya.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Today is his last day.

(A heartbeat sound that slows through the film, symbolizing Hiroshi's fading life and our shared mortality.)

PASSENGERS get on and off at different stations. Hiroshi remains unmoved.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

Like us, Hiroshi possessed dreams, regrets, love. 

A universe within, now still.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

He once walked in the park with his daughter. 

Close shot - Father holding daughter's hand in the park.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Kissed his wife at night. 

Hands holding each other passionately on the bed. 

NARRATOR (V:O:)

Celebrated with colleagues.

Hands holding and toasting with beer bottles.

Added shots of different hands holding a cellphone, an umbrella, a train strap.

CLOSE UP on Hiroshi's face. It's serene, almost as if he's sleeping.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

Hiroshi is every one of us. Existing. Belonging. Then, gone.

As day turns to night - reflection of lights in the window occasionally illuminate Hiroshi's face.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

We all ride this train of life. Some disembark early, some late. 

But we all share the journey.

The train arrives at its final stop. Everyone exits, except Hiroshi.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Can you hear the rhythm of our collective existence?

(At this moment the last beats of his heart can be heard, slowly fading.)

Shot from outside the train through the open doors. Hiroshi is alone. The heart beat stops.

FADE TO BLACK

EXT. CITY - NIGHT

The shot starts with the dark sky, then a wide shot of the city skyline. Thousands of windows are lit, each one a pinprick of light in the darkness.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

Every light, a life. Every life, a universe.

Slowly, one by one, the lights begin to go out.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

We flicker, we shine, we fade. But while we're here...

More and more lights extinguish, the city gradually darkening.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

...we're part of something greater. All beautiful. All temporary. 

A constellation of souls, bound by our shared journey.

In life, in death, in memory - we are never truly alone.

The last few lights twinkle and go dark.

FADE TO BLACK.

NARRATOR (V.O.) 

For Hiroshi. For us all.🥹😢

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My plan? I hope to film this beautiful short. It´s juts my small way of thanking him for connecting with me. I guess.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas