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To the Ends of the Earth

STORY

Yoko (Atsuko Maeda) hosts a popular global travel show yet is cautious and insular like many young Japanese. But she has a bigger dream. On assignment in Uzbekistan, Yoko and her small TV crew attempt to catch a mythical fish but fail. They also film segments in Samarkand but feel it’s lacking. Indifferent to her job, Yoko prefers texting her boyfriend in Tokyo. At night, she comes across a tied up goat and suggests releasing it on camera. The plan goes awry and Yoko feels indignant and naive. The team move to Tashkent where Yoko wanders into an opulent theatre, fantasizing she's on stage. She confides her ambitions to her cameraman but admits her heart's not ready. While filming, Yoko's timid nature inadvertently gets her in trouble with the police. At the station she hears of a disaster in Tokyo and realizes how important human communication truly is. Some of the team return to Japan but Yoko stays. As she ventures into the mountains she sings from the heart and her spirit is freed.

Director: Kiyoshi KUROSAWA
Cast: Atsuko MAEDA, Ryo KASE, Shota SOMETANI
Drama/2019/Color/120mins
Japanese title:旅のおわり世界のはじまり
Japanese Theatrical Release: June 14th, 2019

Film Festivals
- Locarno Film Festival (2019) *Closing Film
- Toronto International Film Festival (2019)
- Almaty International Film Festival (2019)
- New York Film Festival (2019)
- BFI London Film Festival (2019)
- Busan International Film Festival (2019)
- Montreal International Film Festival of New Cinema (2019)
- Viennale - Vienna International Film Festival (2019)
- London East Asia Film Festival (2019)
- Tokyo International Film Festival (20190
- Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (2019)
- San Diego Asian Film Festival (2019)
- Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (2019)
- Mar Del Plata International Film Festival (2019)
- AFI Fest (2019)
- Ajyal Youth Film Festival (DFI) (2019)
- Hainan International Film Festival (2019)
- Portland International Film Festival (2020)
- D’A Film Festival Barcelona (2020)
- New Zealand International Film Festival (2020)
- SANFIC 16 - Santiago International Film Festival (2020)
- Toronto Japanese Film Festival (2020)
- AKI-NO Film Festival (2021)
- Japanese Cinema Now (KACT/Cinematheque Seoul) (2021)
- African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival (2021)
- East Asia Film Festival Ireland (2021)
- Nippon Connection (2021)
- Kazan International Muslim Film Festival (2021)
- Foreign Film Nights at The Levee (2021)
- Cinematheque Copenhagen: Film of the Month (2021)