Marai moment: Yi Yi

Readers of Proust refer to "Proustian moments" that take place throughout In Search of Lost Time as these moments when a smell or sight triggers an overwhelming flood of memories. Similarly, a single type of scene recurs throughout all of the Marai works I've read or know of: an encounter between old friends or lovers for the first time in many years.

There is just such a "Marai moment" in the Taiwanese film, Yi Yi (there's a number of Kodak moments, as well-- note the cover): a middle-aged father, a family man and salaryman, accidentally runs into an old girlfriend/fiancee from college for the first time in something like 15 years. This excellent film by Edward Yang shares much in common with Marai: the concerns of middle age, the complete candour that can take place between two adults finding themselves in a Marai moment... Good stuff.