Taksu

Kiki Sugino : 2014
Yokudô

Suffering from an incurable disease, Chihiro is always thinking about death, worrying all those around him. He struggles as his desire to live wanes over time. Chihiro and his wife, Yuri, decide to go on a trip to see his sister Kumi's home in Bali, which Yuri hopes will be a healing trip for both of them. But instead of calmness, Chihiro's encounter with the exotic Balinese culture and nature brings to the surface long-hidden tensions in their relationship. Exhausted by the stubborn melancholy of her husband, Yuri succumbs to a sensuous one night stand with beach boy Wayang. Chihiro sinks deeper into the void, placing increasing pressure on both their own relationship and that with Kumi and her Dutch partner Luke who are preparing for the birth of their child. The film questions whether there is hope for the possibility of communication and a level of understanding among them, when in truth they are all separated by needs and desires that essentially are driving them apart. Kiki Sugino's feature premiered at Busan International Film Festival 2014, and had its German premiere at Filmfest München 2015.