Experiencing Interruptions?

Sandai

When Kenji and Sakura, a fractured couple burdened by ten years of unresolved conflict, arrive at an unconventional healing session led by a mystical Tamil therapist named Patti, they expect tea and talk—but instead, are pulled into a surreal ritual called Kaala Payanam. Through ancient tarot, bitter brews, and a dreamlike duel of egos, they confront their emotional wounds in a symbolic battleground. Set between reality and inner transformation, SANDAI is a culturally rich, visually charged short film that blends Japanese tension with South Indian spiritual depth, exploring what it truly means to let go.

  • Ramgopal Rajagopalan
    Director
    Mannequin
  • Hiromu Yamawaki
    Director
    Stand In
  • Hiromu Yamawaki
    Writer
    Stand In
  • Ramgopal Rajagopalan
    Writer
    Mannequin
  • Ramgopal Rajagopalan
    Producer
    Alia
  • Haruno Niiyama
    Key Cast
  • Chandani Appadurai
    Key Cast
  • Ryo Mishima
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 31, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    3,500 CAD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Ramgopal Rajagopalan, Hiromu Yamawaki

Hiromu Yamawaki is a Vancouver-based writer and director originally from Tottori, Japan. His work explores intercultural identity, quiet emotional depth, and bilingual storytelling. A graduate of CFC Toronto, Carleton University (Film Studies) and Vancouver Film School (Film Production), Hiromu is committed to advancing Asian representation both on screen and behind the camera. His short films—including Okuribi, Counting Days, and Stand In—have screened at over 20 international festivals.

Ramgopal Rajagopalan is a Vancouver-based filmmaker and co-founder of RAMAR Productions Ltd. A graduate of Vancouver Film School, he has directed and produced several short films, including Mannequin, Squat N Stool, and Alia which have screened at Oscar Qualifying and Canadian Screen Award Qualifying Festivals. His work often explores themes of cultural identity and social commentary, blending surrealism with grounded storytelling.

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Director Statement

Sandai was born from our shared desire to visualize the invisible war within a marriage. As co-directors — one of Tamil descent and the other Japanese — this film is a conscious cultural fusion, a creative collision between Japanese precision and the emotional depth of Tamil culture.

We explore this conflict through a dream duel, blending the disciplined, symbolic sword choreography of Japanese Tate with the intricate, transient beauty of the Tamil Kolam. For us, these forms are not decorative references but structural foundations. Tate embodies control, intention, and restraint; the Kolam embodies rhythm, impermanence, and the daily act of renewal.

Traditionally drawn at the threshold of a home, the Kolam represents the fragile line between order and chaos — much like the relationship at the center of the story. It is created, erased, and redrawn, mirroring how couples must continually renegotiate balance.

By combining these distinct art forms, we create a visual language for the subconscious — a space where a wife can literally and symbolically cut down her husband’s ego. This act is not about defeat, but about confrontation and reset. Upon waking, the couple is given the chance to redraw the lines of their relationship.

In Sandai, conflict becomes form — precise, deliberate, and deeply personal.