On the subtropical Japanese island of Amami, sixteen-year-old Kaito (Nijiro Murakami) discovers a young woman’s body floating in the sea. His girlfriend Kyoko (Jun Yoshinaga) attempts to help him make sense of this mystery while also coming to terms with her shaman mother’s terminal illness. Together, they broach adulthood by experiencing the interwoven cycles of life, death and love.

Following its world premiere in competition at Cannes, Naomi Kawase's RADIANCE went on to win awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography at the RiverRun International Film Festival.

“Kawase delivers a striking meditation on what are clearly deeply personal themes.” –Screen Daily

DIRECTED BY NAOMI KAWASE
FRANCE, JAPAN, SPAIN | 2014 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES