Two 14-year-olds from troubled, abusive homes come together sharing misery and pain. In the aftermath of an earthquake, the classmates learn how to survive while relying on one another for emotional and physical support.
Acting
Sometani and Nikaido deliver performances that should be illegal for teenagers.
Direction
Sono's controlled chaos finds unexpected beauty in absolute despair.
Cinematography
Tsunami wreckage becomes a character—haunting, ugly, strangely alive.
Director
Sion Sono
Shota Sometani
Yuichi Sumida
Fumi Nikaido
Keiko Chazawa
Tetsu Watanabe
Shozo Yoruno
Ken Mitsuishi
Sumida's Father
Denden
Kaneko
Tarō Suwa
Maa-kun
Hidetoshi Kawaya
Kenkichi
Mitsuru Fukikoshi
Keita Tamura
Megumi Kagurazaka
Keiko Tamura
Yosuke Kubozuka
Teruhiko
Asuka Kurosawa
Keiko's Mother
Makiko Watanabe
Sumida's Mother
Toru Tezuka
Suspicious Man
Jun Murakami
Tanimura
Toshihiro Yashiba
Zenkou Tanaka
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in actual 2011 tsunami wreckage in Ishinomaki; cast and crew slept in destroyed buildings. Sono rewrote the manga's ending during production to reflect the real disaster's emotional weight.
The title refers to a mole species that lives underground—symbolizing how these kids survive beneath society's notice. The film became a therapeutic project for traumatized locals who participated as extras.
JP
