(2023, Giappone, 106')
In a small rural village in the heart of the forest not far from Tokyo, Takumi takes care of his daughter Hana, doing odd jobs. The serenity of the community that inhabits these pristine lands, among lakes and mountains where deer roam freely, is at risk of being devastated by the plans of a large company that intends to build a glamping, a luxury camping site, near Takumi’s house. The new powerful film by Oscar-winning Ryûsuke Hamaguchi promises a disquieting and unexpected cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of the eco-political thriller. Enhanced by the ecstatic and ominous soundtrack by Eiko Ishibashi, this hypnotic journey departs from the “countryside versus city” theme to ride the border between the earthly and the metaphysical.
Born in Kanagawa, Japan, in 1978, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi graduated from the University of Tokyo and studied directing at the Tokyo University of the Arts. His graduation film, Passion, was selected for the 2008 Tokyo Filmex. With his debut film, Happy Hour (2015), an extraordinary work lasting five hours, he gained international attention and received numerous awards, including a special mention at Locarno. His first commercial film, Asako I & II, intimate and existential in nature, was selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.
In 2020, he wrote the screenplay for Wife of a Spy, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, an anthology film developed during a workshop, won the Silver Bear at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival. In the same year, with Drive My Car, inspired by a short story by Murakami, he won the award for Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
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