Recently graduated from high school, 17-year-old Shiro decides to put off college and work at a gas station instead. Shy and introspective, Shiro understands he is at a turning point of his life, but is unsure of what lies ahead. Though his parents disapprove of his decision, he has the support of his flower child grandmother who declares that a gas station is a romantic place for life's drifters. Surely enough, soon a new co-worker, college student Noriko, drifts into Shiro's life. He falls headfirst into a bittersweet first love that ushers him into the world of adulthood.
Acting
Yuya Yagira's silent longing could shatter glass.
Cinematography
Neon-lit gas stations have never looked this lonely-gorgeous.
Director
Isamu Nakae
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Yuya Yagira won Cannes' Best Actor at age 14 for 'Nobody Knows,' making his understated performance here a masterclass in restraint from someone who peaked early.
The 'freeter' phenomenon—young Japanese workers avoiding salaryman life—was exploding in 2006, making Shiro's gas station job quietly political.
JP
