Nine Days 2021

Will serves as an arbiter, responsible for evaluating souls before they enter the world of the living. Residing in a remote desert home, he conducts interviews with potential souls seeking the chance to be born. Those not chosen receive a poignant farewell memory as their existence is ultimately erased. The only companion in this isolated existence is Kyo, a soul who has remained and now aids Will in the interview process.

Each day, Will immerses himself in a variety of television screens that showcase the lives of individuals he previously selected, with a particular fondness for Amanda, a 28-year-old violin prodigy. Tragedy strikes when Amanda, en route to a significant concerto, speeds down the highway and crashes into an overpass, leading to her untimely death. In the aftermath, countless candidates arrive to vie for the opportunity Amanda’s death created, and the selection process commences over the next nine days.

During these interviews, Will probes candidates with basic queries about life, observing their reflections on the joys and struggles of those who have been selected before. His attention is drawn to Emma, whose natural empathy and curiosity shine through, even as she remains disinterested in the selection itself. Time passes, and a majority of the candidates are dismissed for their lack of understanding or respect for life’s complexities.

In a bid to impart meaningful experiences to the dismissed candidates, Will orchestrates moments such as strolls on the beach or bike rides through town, all before they vanish forever. Kyo introduces another interviewer, who had previously chosen Amanda’s cousin for birth. She presents Will with a tape recording shortly after Amanda’s death, which reveals the existence of a suicide note left by Amanda prior to her accident. Kyo attempts to guide Will through his grief, but he finds himself fixated on the tapes of Amanda’s life, struggling to fathom her reasons for leaving.

Although Will has confided in Emma about his inability to share details of his past, he begins to open up, revealing that he once experienced a vibrant theater performance that filled him with life—yet he never pursued that passion further. His temper flares when a candidate named Alex criticizes Will’s authority in judging others’ lives, given that he himself has led a life lacking in significance.

As the nine days dwindle, the candidates are narrowed down to two: Emma and Kane. Emma’s optimistic nature contrasts sharply with Kane’s more cynical perspective on the world. Though Kyo advocates for Emma, Will ultimately chooses Kane for birth. In a bittersweet farewell, Will offers Emma one final experience, but she opts to silently traverse the desert instead, declining the opportunity.

Later, Will discovers a heartfelt note from Emma expressing gratitude for the happy memories she gathered during the interviews. Moved by regret, he races across the desert in pursuit of her, passionately reciting quotes from Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself before thanking her in the raw, emotional moment.