Seaside Serendipity

SYNOPSIS: The story is set in a coastal town promoting relocation to artists. 14-year-old Sosuke, an easygoing teenager who belongs to the school art club, and his friends are busy despite it being summer vacation, such as painting a backdrop for the drama club and helping with interviews for the school newspaper. The town is home to a curious assortment of “artists” living here and there. As the lives of carefree children and adults burdened by secrets and lies cross and intersect, there is the dazzling ocean shimmering under the sun. The children dive headfirst into the challenges before them, while the adults fumble and search for “the right answer.” In this divided society that we live in, every character is endearing in this quirky yet heartwarming ode to life, filled with kindness and humor.

DIRECTOR: Satoko Yokohama

 Satoko Yokohama graduated from a university in Yokohama before working for a year as an office employee in Tokyo. In 2002, she enrolled in the Elementary Fiction Course at The Film School of Tokyo and graduated in 2004.

Her graduation short film Chiemi and Kokkunpatcho (2006) won the Grand Prize in the 2nd CO2 (Cineastes Organization Osaka) Open Competition. Using a grant from CO2, she independently produced her first feature film, German plus Rain (2007), which earned the 3rd CO2 Cineastes Osaka Mayor’s Award. Remarkably for an independent film, it received a nationwide theatrical release.

In 2008, she directed her first commercial film, Bare Essence of Life (starring Kenichi Matsuyama and Kumiko Aso), which was released nationwide in June 2009. That same year, the film was featured at several international film festivals, including the Toronto and Vancouver International Film Festival.

In 2016, she released The Actor (starring Ken Yasuda and Kumiko Aso). 

The 2021 film ITO, entirely produced in Aomori and starring Ren Komai, a native of the prefecture, won both the Audience Award and the Grand Prix (Best Picture Award) at the 16th Osaka Asian Film Festival, as well as several other honors, including Special Prize at the 13th TAMA Film Awards and the 36th Fumiko Yamaji Cultural Award.

Known for her talent in capturing intangible elements of everyday life with unique and expressive storytelling, Yokohama has earned a dedicated fan base in Japan.

Directed by: Satoko Yokohama

Year of production: 2025

Country: Japan

Duration: 2h 21m