Echoes of the Orient

Buliang Zhao is a Chinese man living with his Japanese partner Rin Takahashi, an office worker. He works at a warehouse that sponsors his visa while he pursues his passion for art in the face of family demands for him to return home while Rin patiently weathers overbearing colleagues and her own family’s expectations over her settling down. Through these two characters, on the verge of parting due to the demands of others, the film explores the limits of personal freedom and desire. (Text by Jason Maher)

Meili is an international student who finds her boyfriend cheating with her best friend; Yumeji is a photographer with a drug problem who is known for his relationships with men; technical intern trainee Luli is a factory worker struggling to renew his visa; and the elderly Iwai works at the same factory and loses his mother and his job.