Director
Emma Kawawada
Starring
Arashi Lina, Okudaira Daiken
Run Time
114 mins
Release Year
2022
Country of Origin
Japan, France
Language
Japanese, Turkish, Kurdish
Director of Photography: Shinomiya Hidetoshi
Editor: Fushima Shinichi
Production Designer: Seo Hyeonsun
Sound Production: Yaei Yuki
My Small Land
Part of the Heartbreakers Strand
Sarya was only five when her family left Kurdistan to start anew in Japan. Now a teenager, she is finally settling in, finding confidence through her growing grasp of the language and excitedly planning her college application. Her dreams are suddenly and painfully shattered when her father’s asylum application is denied, sending her family into agonising uncertainty. It is no coincidence Kawawada’s directorial debut plays with the tenderness of a Kore-eda: the Japanese auteur is her longtime mentor. [15]