Rei is a freelance writer embattled by personal demons. She hears voices in her head, and has sleeping problems, eating disorders and drinks excessively. On Valentine's Day, she meets truck driver Takatoshi. She joins him on a journey in his bumpy and shaky truck - which vibrates in tune with her uneasy soul.
Acting
Shinobu Terajima's barely-contained fracture is masterful.
Direction
Hiroki finds poetry in truck stops and engine hum.
Sound
The vibration itself becomes a character.
Director
Ryuichi Hiroki
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shinobu Terajima won Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival for this role; the jury specifically cited her ability to convey interiority without dialogue.
The film adapts Mari Akasaka's novel, written during Japan's 'lost decade' when economic collapse made trucker culture a symbol of precarious masculinity—Takatoshi's vulnerability reframes that archetype entirely.
JP
