Twilight Out of Focus

Mao Tsuchiya and Hisashi Ootomo, two second-year high school students, have settled into another year as dorm roommates after a shaky beginning. To keep the peace, they agree to three rules: Mao won’t reveal Ootomo’s secret-that he’s gay and dating someone-Ootomo won’t develop feelings for Mao, and both will respect each other’s need for privacy. These straightforward promises are tested when the school’s film club launches a new project. This year’s short film is a boys’ love story about a class president and a delinquent-with Ootomo cast as the ideal lead. As the principal photographer, Mao is responsible for framing every scene, including the romantic ones. He tries to ignore it, but his growing attraction to Ootomo starts to interfere with the film. As the story unfolds on-screen and his own emotions deepen, Mao can no longer avoid facing his complicated feelings.