In a storm-scared village, 70-year-old Tae lives a quiet life until she rescues Haru, a mysterious mountain creature. As she feeds and nurtures him with her wanzi, she finds a renewed sense of purpose. However, when rumors of a monster spread, fear turns the villagers against them. Tae is forcibly hospitalized, and Haru is hunted as a harbinger of disaster. To protect him, she stages a fake funeral. When a new storm strikes, Tae must learn that love is not possession but letting go.
Ikeda Akira is a director and screenwriter who studied art at a film school and English literature at university. His feature Anatomy of a Paper Clip (2013) won the Grand Prize at Rotterdam and Vancouver International Film Festivals. Ambiguous Places (2017) screened in the Japanese Cinema Splash section of Tokyo IFF, while The Blue Danube (2020) received the Special Jury Prize at Tokyo FILMeX.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
