Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi
2023, Japan, 106 min
Japanese with English subtitles
Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping site near Takumi’s house; offering city residents a comfortable ‘escape’ to nature. When two company representatives from Tokyo arrive in the village to hold a meeting, it becomes clear that the project will have a negative impact on the local water supply, causing unrest. The agency’s mismatched intentions endanger both the ecological balance of the nature plateau and their way of life, with an aftermath that affects Takumi’s life deeply.
“Composer Eiko Ishibashi’s tremulous string score dislodges something tender within your chest, like a stone being knocked loose at the mouth of a river.” – Xuanlin Tham, Little White Lies
“Evil isn’t some disembodied thing, in Hamaguchi’s worldview: it’s something embodied by humans, who can choose whether they’ll fight it or just give in.” – Alissa Wilkinson, Vox
