...the protagonist, a girl; comes back to her home in a rural area after have been living in the city for some time. The film shows a total exchange between Human beings and Nature. Displays the days (seasons) based on the food. Food that she make in an organically way; so, there are dishes (1st, 2nd, etc) then a voice giving us detailed specs of those delicious recipes. It also shows us enough of the daily work performed directly in that interchange with Nature. On one side is for what has she come for (and her doubts); this is something that is seen throughout the film. An example is the distant relationship with her mother in the past. Now, she has gone but nobody know(still)where; she has not left a note and the protagonist, does not seems to care much about it. The girl speaks not so much, but when she does it, generates concise thoughts that clears up her mind. The relationship with friends and old time neighbors is showed too. She acts just OK; she does not express any feeling; in a robotic kind of way.

Correct photography and beautiful landscapes make that with a few shoots one has a great idea of ​​what would be a life in such rural area.

Maybe that's the way we human beings should have evolved?... respect for nature, little intervention or necessary and delimited foot prints; each one living in their own way but in a civilized manner; adequate share of progress and technology. A fine tuning that many have lost; probably because we are too many and livelihood is not easy for most; Also worth seeing that the countryside of some countries is more likely to achieve this link between nature and technology due to have several details of the modern life tuned. The film has everything to be a great drama, however, it does not generate the necessary spark; it needs a bit more depth, more involved acting in the main character (this film has not the power of a Kiarostami film...); or perhaps that was what the director wanted to show¿? show a girl who seems to be immune to everything. There is a second part (another movie) called Winter/Spring; where I suppose, will close this cycle.

There is such harmony, sustainability, and mindfulness in this young woman who lives off of the crops she grows or food she finds, out in an absolutely gorgeous part of rural Japan. The moments of quiet introspection, recognizing that the things she's doing stretch back in time long before she was born, or when she's eating a walnut rice ball made with last year's crop while harvesting this year's, are nice touches, and the skills shown in preparing food were inspiring. There's also an undercurrent of a sad backstory involving her mom who's left her for some reason, but it's alluded to so subtly that it's hard to tell what's happened - though maybe it's expanded on in the second movie, Little Forest: Winter/Spring. One of my favorite moments was when the ducks are released into the rice paddies to eat up bugs, slow down weeds, and fertilize ... but that was followed by my least favorite moment, a duck being killed and eviscerated (even though it was done in the most natural way possible, she used all parts of the duck, etc). To be honest, it all reminded me quite a bit of Chinese vlogger Li Ziqi, and if you're aware of her that's certainly the tone to expect here. It's really quite lovely, but just a little too tranquil for me.

I've got mixed feelings about this one. Although it was beautiful, for a story as a whole it wasn't much. The plot dragged through the two films in snail pace, with the story being revealed too slowly. There is some depth in it, with the girl finally revealing us that her mother left her five years ago. And there is more to it, if the film had made a better presentation of the girl's relationship with her mother. Also, it would have been good if the movie focused a little on the reasons why she left the city to come back to her farm house, or why she left the farm house in the first place. But maybe the second film gives a clearer view on the matter. Other than that, the film focuses on the connection between nature, agriculture and cooking. The sceneries are beautiful, as well as the cinematography regarding the cooking process. I guess you can say that the performance of the leading lady was good, though she didn't have much to work with. So, 5 out of 10.