Co-Producer
On the surface, 22-year-old Horigai seems to be drifting through life. Having managed to secure a decent job as a child welfare officer, but not attaching much value to anything in life, she whiles away her boring days between classes and her apartment before she graduates. However, her indifferent exterior hides various tangled emotions, including her apprehensions about becoming a social worker and the fact that she’s still a virgin. When she meets Inogi, Horigai’s life gains a sort of anchorage as the women develop an unlikely bond. Yet tragic developments with one of Horigai’s friends, as well as revelations about Inogi’s dark past, threaten to unbalance their new-found peace, bringing unexpected sadness to the surface.
Producer
In Edo-era Japan, a ukiyo-e artist languishes in his master’s shadow. Creatively stifled, he finds consolation in the company of a prostitute, and becomes entangled in a love triangle. A mystery emerges involving two portraits and the sudden disappearance of the artist Sharaku. Helmed by Cannes-selected director Tatsuji Yamazaki, the film employs kabuki-inspired sequences and stylised sets.