OYU

_{Available worldwide except France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and Japan}

Awards

• Best Fiction - Tampere Film Festival

Synopsis

A lovelorn traffic warden must make a choice when her principles get in the way of her being accepted by others. It is the last day of the year and night falls on the small town of Toyama, Japan. A man who has come to the public baths to retrieve a forgotten object finds an old but valid ticket and lets himself be tempted. Among clouds of vapor and the gestures and conversations around him, a simple bath slowly becomes an invitation to existential reflection.

About the directors

Atsushi Hirai

Born in Toyama, Japan, Atsushi Hirai studied filmmaking in Tokyo and then in France where he settled in 2015 and worked as an assistant director, in particular on Damien Manivel’s films. His first film RETURN TO TOYAMA (2020) was presented in international competition at Locarno FF. His latest work OYU (2023) was screened at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and was awarded the Best Fiction award at the Tampere FF.