Thriller

Festival Award Winners

In the Wake

護られなかった者たちへ

Directed by: Takahisa Zeze
2021 / 134 minutes / Unclassified 15+: under 15s must be accompanied by an adult

Drama about the victims of the 3.11 earthquake and their grievous fate

On March 11, 2011, a huge earthquake in northeastern Japan inflicted unprecedented damage.  Amidst the survivors assisting each other at an evacuation centre are a lonely young man, a girl and a selflessly kind elderly woman who together form a makeshift family. Time passes, and a detective is assigned to a bizarre murder case. That detective also took refuge in the shelter after the disaster. Fate soon brings them together… 

 Against the backdrop of the disaster that still scars the Japanese psyche, not only is In the Wake a mystery about a murder investigation but also a social drama that furiously criticises society’s cruelty towards the weak. Takeru Satoh has become a major star with his action prowess and cool demeanour, and the talented and popular Hiroshi Abe has mastered everything from comedy to drama. In this harrowing film, they throw themselves wholeheartedly into extremely serious roles.