I den idylliske landsbyen Mizubiki, ca. to timer utenfor Tokyo, lever folk som de alltid har gjort, med respekt for naturen og dyrene som omgir dem. Her bor Takumi sammen med datteren sin. Når det kommer for en dag at eiendomsutviklere fra hovedstaden ønsker å etablere «glamping-hytter» i landsbyen slår idyllen sprekker. Bak den sedvanlige japanske høfligheten bobler det under overflaten når landsbyboerne møter kapitalistene fra storbyen. Ikke ulikt vår egen Dag Johan Haugerud evner regissør Hamaguchi å fremstille gjenkjennbare, feilbarlige mennesker på film. Ingen er bare snille eller bare slemme, og de moralske spørsmålene som løftes er relevante som aldri før.

«The Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi follows his Oscar-winning “Drive My Car” with a hauntingly ambiguous drama of nature and capitalism in conflict.»

– Justin Chang, The New Yorker –

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (f. 1978) er en japansk regissør og manusforfatter. Han ble for alvor kjent for et internasjonalt publikum med Drive My Car i 2021, som ga ham to Oscar-nominasjoner. For Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy vant han Sølvbjørnen i Berlin samme år.

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A village outside Tokyo reacts when they discover plans to build a tourist site offering city dwellers a comfortable getaway in nature. The film captures conflicts between humans and nature, progress and preservation.

In the idyllic village of Mizubiki, about two hours outside Tokyo, people live more or less as they always have, with respect for nature and the animals surrounding them. This is the home of the protagonist, Takumi, and his daughter. When property developers from the capital decide to establish «glamping cabins» in the village, the idyll is shattered. Behind the usual Japanese politeness, things are boiling under the surface when the villagers meet the capitalists from the big city. Not unlike Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud, Hamaguchi is able to portray recognizable, fallible people on film. No one is only good or bad, just like in real life, and the moral questions raised are as relevant as never before.

«The Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi follows his Oscar-winning “Drive My Car” with a hauntingly ambiguous drama of nature and capitalism in conflict.»

– Justin Chang, The New Yorker –

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (b. 1978) is a Japanese director and screenwriter. He first came to the attention of an international audience with Drive My Car in 2021, which earned him two Oscar nominations. For Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, he won the Silver Bear in Berlin the same year.