Japanese director's films capture why people crave connection while fleeing society
Sho Miyake's breakthrough films explore characters torn between isolation and belonging.
Japanese director Sho Miyake has arrived in America with two feature films that examine social disconnection. His naturalistic portraits Small, Slow But Steady and Two Seasons, Two Strangers premiered at New Directors/New Films festival in New York this April. The Verge profiled Miyake following his American debut, noting his focus on characters experiencing "discomfort that slowly starts to distance them from society" while simultaneously grappling with the fundamental human need to relate to others.
This reflects a broader cultural shift from the hyper-connectivity promised by social media to a more nuanced understanding of human connection. For the past decade, the assumption was that more platforms meant more belonging. That assumption has collapsed. Now we see people actively seeking spaces that allow for both proximity and distance—co-working spaces, silent discos, meditation apps with community features. Miyake's films capture this exact tension: characters who want to belong but feel unsettled by the demands of social engagement. His work arrives precisely when audiences are ready to see their own ambivalence about connection reflected on screen.
When people simultaneously crave and resist belonging, they need new formats for connection that honor both impulses.
Design experiences that allow people to be alone together rather than forcing traditional social engagement. The future belongs to brands that understand connection doesn't always require conversation or direct interaction.
Source: The Verge