To The Ends of The Earth

by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Yoko (former J-pop idol Atsuko Maeda) travels with a small crew to Uzbekistan (breathtakingly captured by veteran DP Akiko Ashizawa) to shoot an episode of her reality TV travel show. In front of the camera, her persona is carefree and happy-go-lucky, but behind the scenes she is cautious and introverted.  Despite her best efforts, all the shootings end unsuccessfully. Frustrated by the failed filming, she takes to the streets of this mysterious country on her own. Lost in the streets of Tashkent, she finds herself adrift and alone, confronting her deepest fears and hidden aspirations.  
A brilliant mix of black comedy, travelogue, drama, and an adventure-imbued mockery of showbiz, To the Ends of the Earth is a young woman’s journey from displacement to a place of self-discovery.

  • Born in 1955, Hyogo Prefecture. He began making 8mm films while a student at university and made his commercial film debut in 1983.

    In 1997, his crime thriller CURE brought him international attention, followed by Serpent’s Path(1998), License to Live(1998) and Pulse(2001).

    His Bright Future was a Palme d'Or nominee at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, his film Journey to the Shore won the prize for Best Director uncertainregards at Cannes. In 2016, his thriller Creepy premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.

    In 2020, Kurosawa won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the 77th Venice International Film Festival for his film Wife of a Spy. In 2024, Chime, a film he directed and wrote, will be distributed exclusively on Roadstead.

  • Year: 2019

    Country: Japan

    Runtime: 120 min

    Color: Color

    Language: Japanese

    Subtitles: English

    Sound: 2:39

  • Crew

    Director & Screenplay: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

    Producers: Eiko Mizuno Gray, Toshikazu Nishigaya, and Jason Gray

    Cinematography: Akiko Ashizawa

    Music Composer: Yûsuke Hayashi

    Film Editor: Kôichi Takahashi

    Production Designer: Norifumi Ataka

    Cast

    Atsuko Maeda as Yoko

    Shôta Sometani as Yoshioka

    Tokio Emoto as Sasaki

    Ryô Kase as Iwao

    Adiz Rajabov as Temur

  • Locarno Film Festival Closing night
    Toronto International Film Festival     Master
    New York Film Festival _ Main Slate
    London Film Festival
    Busan International Film Festival
    AFI Fest

  • “An incredible story of one woman's transformation from loneliness to emotional freedom.”

    —Kevin Lee, Film Inquiry

  • “Quietly immersive and spellbinding.”

    —Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter

  • “Rewarding and insightful!"

    —Jessica Kiang, Variety