Evil Does Not Exist
Slowly unfolding, heartbreaking drama from Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) about the struggle between the PR team of a luxury campsite, to be built in the middle of Japan's countryside, and the local community.
Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping site near Takumi’s house, offering city residents a comfortable ‘escape’ to nature. When two company representatives from Tokyo arrive in the village to hold a meeting, it becomes clear that the project will have a negative impact on the local water supply, causing unrest. The agency’s mismatched intentions endanger both the ecological balance of the area and the villagers’ way of life, with an aftermath that affects Takumi’s life deeply.
As in DRIVE MY CAR, the music – a renewed cooperation with singer-songwriter and composer Eiko Ishibashi – plays an important role. It amplifies and flows with the deeper layers in this story about capitalism versus pristine nature. Hamaguchi is a perfect storyteller, and without taking sides or judging, he slowly lets image and sound do the work.