13-year-old Sachiko is about to encounter the most difficult moments in her young life. Her father abandons her and her mother attempts to commit suicide by slashing her wrist. Her teacher, whom she relies on heavily, leaves for northern Japan to take another job. Other students start to gossip about Sachiko and her former teacher. Sachiko then drops out of school and attempts to find herself.
Acting
Aoi Miyazaki at 16—raw, feral, unforgettable debut.
Direction
Shiota's handheld intimacy never looks away.
Cinematography
Bleached summer haze that feels like fever.
Director
Akihiko Shiota
Aoi Miyazaki
Sachiko Kita
Yu Aoi
Natsuko Yamaoka
Ryo
Toshiko Kita
Seiichi Tanabe
Ogata
Yuria Haga
Rumi
Yūsuke Iseya
Cofeeshop Guy
Eihi Shiina
Music Teacher
Ken Mitsuishi
Man with Cell Phone
Takayo Mimura
Kazumi
Kenjirou Ishimaru
Middle-Aged Man in Convenience Store
Houka Kinoshita
Truck Driver
Nao Omori
Man at Love Hotel
Susumu Terajima
Male Teacher
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Aoi Miyazaki's first film role at age 16; she won Best New Actress at the Yokohama Film Festival and became the youngest-ever recipient of the Japan Academy Prize for Newcomer of the Year.
Shiota's 'Sundance trilogy' (this plus Moon and Cherry and Canary) deliberately rejected Japanese studio polish for gritty DV aesthetics influenced by American indie cinema, scandalizing domestic critics.
JP
