Shara. 2003. Japan. Directed by Naomi Kawase. With Kohei Fukunaga, Yuka Hyodo, Naomi Kawase. In Japanese; English subtitles. 99 min.
Twin brothers are playing together during the Jizo festival when one mysteriously disappears. Five years later, still haunted by what happened, Shun paints a portrait of his lost brother. As his burgeoning friendship with his girlfriend Yuu deepens, the winding streets of Nara become part of the psychological web that unites Shun’s past with the future. Winner, FIPRESCI, 2003 Locarno Film Festival . Courtesy of Pyramide Films.