Only Intermission
Written, Directed and Edited by Karin Yamamoto
Starring Suzu Sakai, Lizzy Roberts, Celeste Ciulla
Cinematography by Tempei Iwakiri
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, Sara Suzuki, a Japanese tango dancer in New York, struggles to cope with physical and emotional isolation and the uncertainty of her future, until something changes within her upon befriending a new neighbor.
Premiered at New York Short Film Festival held at Cinema Village in New York City in November 2025.
Synopsis
Set in October 2020, six months after the outbreak of COVID-19, Sara Suzuki, a Japanese tango dancer, copes with a life of physical and emotional isolation following the shutdown in New York City. As she anxiously awaits news about whether her dance company can hire her back, Sara finds herself unable to focus on the choreography for a dance piece that will be presented on Zoom. Meanwhile, Sara befriends a neighbor, Amy, an actor who shares the same frustrations as Sara. One day, an argument with her colleagues prompts Sara to go out of her comfort zone and confront her boss about her undecided future at the company.
