In the 2021 film thatmade waves at Cannes and Sundance, A24’sAfter Yangfeatures a number of subtle motifs to support complex themes that could easily go unnoticed. Unlike many of its science-fiction predecessors, director and writer Kogonada carefully crafts a vaguely futuristic world in which the technological advancements, though significant, are not the principal focus. There is what seems to be an advanced transportation system but only based on context clues nestled in close-up shots. Clones are integral members of society, yet their presence is only lightly touched upon.
After Yangis packed with intent, centralizing on challenging topics such as loss, grief, connection, and what it means to be human. Its exploration of the human condition is reminiscent of the Netflix Original anthology seriesBlack Mirror. There are plenty of sci-fi films and shows that address the abstract philosophical question, “What does it mean to be human?” but Kogonada thoughtfully approaches the question from a fresh perspective. Its evocative nature provides freshness for sci-fi fans and film critics alike.
The narrative follows formerly-absent father and husband Jake, portrayed byColin Farrell, as he navigates his and his family’s loss of their organic android, Yang. The family’s loss forces Jake out of his empty tea shop and reintroduces him to the importance of family. In the film based on the short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang” by Alexander Weinstein, parents often choose to purchase or adopt incredibly humanlike android siblings for their children. Jake and his wife, Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith), had purchased Yang (Justin H. Min), a refurbished “technosapien” explicitly designed for language and cultural purposes, to provide cultural background for their adopted Chinese daughter. Of course, Yang turns out to be much more than a tool for learning.
When Yang’s core shuts down unexpectedly, Jake and his family suffer loss and experience grief indistinguishable from the emotions associated with losing a family member. To Jake’s young daughter Mika, Yang is her big brother. He talks like a human. He acts like a human with his ability to form complex connections, reflect, and establish relationships. He is even portrayed by a human actor. The film follows the family’s quiet recognition of the magnitude of their loss and the importance of familial harmony through an opening repeated images of trees, the juxtaposition of clones with non-clones, and the motif of traditional tea-making. Kogonada’s delivery method depends upon subtlety, which means some details are easy to miss.
A Grafted Family Tree
In the film, there are many scenes in which the camera focuses on a heavily wooded area, a singular tree, leaves, and the shadows of leaves. These fleeting images, which are rarely accompanied by dialogue, are thoughtful moments for pause that connect to an important scene in which Yang teaches Mika a lesson about the meaning of family. Mika is exploring her identity as an ethnically Chinese girl who has been adopted by a white man and a Black woman. Yang walks her through an orchard and explains the concept of fruit grafting, an ancient practice in which one will remove part of one tree, called the “parent tree,” and physically attaches it to a second tree to produce ideal results for fruit.Yang is able to articulate a scientific concept as a metaphor to explain a complex topicfor Mika to understand. Mika’s potential for growth in her family’s care, Yang’s included, represents an ideal. Mika learns that she is a permanent part of Jake and Kyra’s family despite coming from a different family tree.
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The recurring images of trees, though they tie back to this concept and scene, refer to Yang andthe theme of family. This becomes more apparent when Jake walks through Yang’s museum exhibit, where there are fake trees with trunks interrupted by transparent, glowing sections. In Yang’s absence, Jake and his family realize that Yang was a permanent fixture in their family, as their dynamic has shifted demonstrably in his absence. The images of trees and leaves are subtle reminders of Yang’s continued impact and significance. Regardless of his identity as a technosapien, Yang is mourned like any family member. Symbolically, trees often signify family and growth.
The Contrast of Clones
Clones are only briefly mentioned in the film, so their significance may be a mystery to some. The existence of clones as normal citizens is not central to the plot, but there are two clone characters whose identity lends itself to the themes of family and what it really means to be human.
After establishing that Jake intentionally avoids his neighbor, George (Clifton Collins Jr.), he reveals that it is because George’s daughters are clones, and Jake is prejudiced against them. It is evident that the oldest daughter is aware of Jake’s bias, as she begins to shout at him defensively when he comes around to look for Yang’s friend Ada (Haley Lu Richardson), who is also a clone. George’s daughter demonstrates clones' human capacity to feel and express emotion in contrast with Jake’s struggle to articulate his emotions and show vulnerability. Clones, though developed in laboratory settings, are human.
Jake eventually tracks Ada down using clues from Yang’s memories and discovers that she and Yang had a relationship before his shutdown. Ada is crying, mourning her loss. At one point, Jake asks whether Yang wants to be human. Ada responds with pointed hostility, stating that that is a very human thing to ask and asks why it is the assumption that being human would be better or even preferable. The clones' bursts of emotion are an unexpected yet pleasant juxtaposition with Jake and Kyra’s subdued nature.
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InAfter Yang, there is no definitive answer to the question, “What does it mean to be human?” nor is there supposed to be. This film’s concepts blur the parameters of being distinctly human. The clones and technosapiens are alive, however, and clearly demonstrate through their words, actions, experiences, expressions, and feelings what it means to be alive.
Steep in Thought
Jake is the owner of a traditional tea shop, and the image of him steeping tea leaves is repeated throughout the film. Tea serves as another complex metaphor, representing connection, depth, and complexity. Tea is both a tangible concept and a concept that is beyond adequate explanation.
After searching through Yang’s memories, Jake reflects upon a memory he and Yang share in which Jake attempts to explain what he loves about the process of tea-making. Jake focuses not on the flavor but on the process: the blooming leaves, the layer of smells, and the connection with nature. On the other hand, Yang is only objectively familiar with tea, as he is programmed with many facts about tea and its history. There is a disconnection between Jake and Yang regarding their unique experiences with tea, yet this conversation about tea connects them. Like tea leaves in hot water, Yang steeps in thought over Jake’s perspective and even yearns for this experience. Although there is a limit to his detailed programming, Yang’s desire to connect understand is an inherently human quality.
Human Nature Takes Precedence Over Technology
AlthoughAfter Yangtakes place in a futuristic world equipped with technology advanced beyond understanding, these are simply details that add depth to Kogonada’s strikingly naturalistic world. Two major themes are mother nature and human nature. Yang’s identity as an android is not controversial; no one questions his significance.
There is a scene in which Yang sets up the camera to take a family photo in a pretty meadow surrounded by woods. Yang is the default cameraman, seemingly because he is implicitly considered to be the “outsider.” Yet, in the picture-taking process, the family beckons Yang to join the photograph, a symbolic gesture acknowledging Yang’s unquestionable place in their family.
After Yangis a beautiful,poignant portrait of a familyforced to reconnect and reflect after experiencing an unexpectedly devastating loss. Kogonada concerns himself less with the film’s apparent sci-fi elements and more with nature and human nature.
