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Akira Kurosawa's assistant director Takashi Koizumi directs the low-key drama Letter From the Mountain, based on the novel by Keishi Nagi. Highly specialized doctor Michiko (Kanako Higuchi) finds herself seized with panic attacks. She and her partner, Takao (Akira Terao), decide to leave behind their stressful lives in Tokyo for a simpler life in the small farming village of Shinshu. After meeting several sick people in the community, Michiko sets up a medical center and gradually heals herself in the process. However, many of the townspeople refuse medical treatment, preferring to let nature take its course. The conclusion involves an annual celebration suggesting the couple's acceptance in the community. Letter From the Mountain was shown at the 2002 Mill Valley Film Festival.