Synopsis
Nestled in the gentle rhythms of a mountainous village of the Nara prefecture, a family grapples with the emotional aftershocks of an economic fallout. Young Michiru and her cousin Eisuke discover that the world isn’t as kind as their childhood promised. In their relative isolation, they search for a tenuous peace. Kawase’s landmark debut feature is a cleared-eyed rumination on the fragile nature of familial relationships as they splinter under the indifferent determinism of modernity. Continuing from her personal documentaries and short films, Suzaku casts a scrutiny on the fraught bonds of family history and memory. As she draws out the wordless moments of introspection with a characteristic gentleness, Kawase reveals the beautiful juxtaposition of a life that is both tranquil and fractured.