Daishi Kaneko

As amply demonstrated in Desert of Namibia, for 21-year-old, disenchanted beautician Kana, life in Japan proves frustratingly unrewarding, even alienating. Working an unfulfilling, uninteresting job at a laser hair removal salon, Kana bounces back and forth between two boyfriends. Without question, director Yoko Yamanaka captures the existential ennui of this young Japanese woman looking for equality, a rewarding job, emotional honesty and support, all promising a desirable future she seems incapable of working to achieve.