

In a port town in Japan, a young girl named Yoko helps out her mother with homestay business. A French lady whose car broke down became their new guest and suddenly interrupted Yoko’s daily routine, Their relationship changed subtly after a short-lived intimacy. Yoko’s thus embarked on the journey of exploring her self-identity…
This is a story about “self-exploration”. The exploration process of self-identity during adolescence is presented in both frustrated and private ways under certain contexts. Though Yoko is gendered female, she is confused about her gender in one way or another. Such confusion was caused by either her deep-down disagreement with her natured gender or by the stereotyped views about what females should be. The short-lived intimate relationship with the French lady is her first attempt of concreting her sexual identity. The narrated space of the abandoned building and of the car reflect the young girl’s inner experience of struggles and excitements. As the director, I aimed to portrait the struggles of the sexual identity exploration and of the self-consciousness establishment among the young people through Yoko’s experiences.
Directed by Guo Dongxun (Japan)