A Girl Missing

Ichiko, a private nurse, gets along really well with high school student Motoko and her younger sister Saki, one of her patients' granddaughters. While helping the two girls with homework in a cafe, Ichiko runs into her teenage nephew Tatsuo. The following day, Saki does not return home from school; police think Tatsuo is behind her kidnapping. Ichiko wants to come clean with the family, but fearing that Ichiko will no longer be welcome, Motoko urges her not to tell anything. The truth nevertheless comes to light, with far-reaching consequences, especially once the media gets involved. Does Ichiko have something to hide?

Director Fukada Kôji, who also wrote the screenplay, constantly switches between two times: one before the kidnapping, when Ichiko's life is all-okay, and one after the kidnapping, when she has lost everything. It appears that Ichiko is a complex character, superbly played by Japanese actress Mariko Tsutsui.