Two strangers steal a car and each other's loneliness in this forgotten Japanese road gem.
Tetsuaki's struggling to write a novel while his mother fades; Mitsuko's engagement has been forced upon her unwillingly; the two individuals run away to share their grief.
Cinematography
Dreamy coastal landscapes that swallow characters whole.
Acting
Koichi Sato's writerly stillness breaks your heart.
Director
Hōjin Hashiura
Koichi Sato
Tetsuaki Murakami
Kumi Nakamura
Mitsuko Hoshi
Toru Masuoka
Kouten
Hirotaro Honda
Sand Man
Ikko Suzuki
Toshiro
Noriko Hayami
Yuriko
Ако
Yayoi
Toshie Kusunoki
Boarding House Lady
Masahiro Kobayashi
Ichiro
Akaji Maro
Brokerage Firm President
Kazuko Shirakawa
Wife of Brokerage Firm President
Akiko Kitamura
Hiroko Nakayama
Tokiko Mita
Tetsuaki's mother
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Hashiura made this after assistant directing for Imamura; the raw documentary influence shows in the roadside encounters.
The film captures a specific 1980s Japanese malaise—economic growth hollowed out young people's traditional paths, leaving them literally driving nowhere.
JP
