Shadow of Sand

This unusual film was shot in an unusual way. In this era of high resolution, Kaida Yusuke chose the old-fashioned and imperfect amateur format 8mm. But he certainly didn't ask an amateur to hold the camera. Master cameraman Masaki Tamura - whose work can also be admired at this festival in the film Sad Vacation by Aoyama Shinji - made the most of the grainy and atmospheric material.
The film is based on a true event and is set in Tokyo in the 1980s. A young woman, Yukie Yusuke (Noriko Eguchi), lives with the vision of the lover she murdered (Ryoutarou Yonemura). A strange love story and the makers did everything they could to keep a form of romance intact. After his death, Yukie's lover continues to appear in her room. Despite this striking apparition, Yukie carries on going to work in her office. She does everything she can to avoid discovery. Her strange cohabitation is only put under pressure when a new lover turns up.
The idiosyncratic choice for 8mm film stock turns out to work well in evoking an unreal atmosphere. The visions of Yukie are no less than real and reality acquires a dreamlike appearance. (GjZ)