A film that’s stuck with me since I watched it is Wim Wender’s Perfect Days. Perfect Days follows Hirayama, a janitor in Tokyo, through his monotonous, unchanging daily routine. Despite this seemingly simplistic lifestyle, Hirayama appears (on the surface at least) deeply contented.

The film serves as a meditation on the importance of being present. Hirayama is present for every small moment of his day; he takes pleasure in watching the sunlight filter through the trees, in the books he reads, and in caring for his Bonsai plants.