Itchan and Satchan (2022)

"I'm asking you because I know nothing"

Itchan and Satchan was a short film focusing on two adult sisters as they prepare their grandmother’s house for renovations. Boxing up a lifetime of belongings is time consuming, especially when rounds of “Red Light, Green Light” have to be played as childhood memories come to the fore.

Single, pregnant Itchan and her married sister Satchan are faced with the task of boxing up their grandmother’s belongings. Though the reason is that renovations on the house will soon begin, they don’t believe their grandmother will ever return home. As the two sort out toys and dishware, memories are unearthed as well.

Sorting through a family member’s things is nearly always a daunting task. What to keep, pack, give away, or throw away? Each item is imbued with a past and the feelings associated with it. A toy starter gun, a flickering ball, a marble, and a hula hoop, all cause the packing to halt. For a while the sisters were transported back to their past when life seemed simpler and they were closer. Adulthood magnified their differences and the distance between them. Background noises echoed the sisters’ exchanges-children’s laughter, howling wind, and the scraping of a marble rolling along the uneven floor.

Itchan and Satchan was a tiny slice of life between two women largely avoiding the task at hand and unsure of how to bridge the gap between them. The sisters packed up belongings filled with warm memories and unpacked grievances that had been hidden, but not forgotten. Heavy on symbolism and silences, this film could have used a few more honest conversations or maybe I just wanted to learn more about their lives. Worth giving a try if you like slice of life.

30 January 2026

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