Desert of Namibia

Kana, who works at a hair removal clinic, has a nice boyfriend, but she still feels bad inside. She spends most of her time on her phone watching a live stream from the Namibian desert or cheating on her boyfriend. Soon she breaks up with her boyfriend and moves in with Hayashi. The same problems continue, and the new man is not as great as expected. He is constantly absent and does not seem to be doing anything productive with his life. The continuous violent arguing only creates more problems and Kana's mental well-being suffers even more. What can our main character do to feel better and is it even possible? The surrounding Japanese society does not seem to provide any answers, but rather aggravates the anxiety even more. The International Federation of Film Critics awarded this film showing new perspectives on Japan at the Cannes Film Festival.

Juho Lipponen

The Japanese focus at Espoo Ciné IFF is supported by Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation.