AllMovie

Written and directed by Takeshi Fukunaga, this coming-of-age drama focuses on Kanto (Kanto Shimokura), a 14-year-old boy from the indigenous Ainu people of Northern Japan. As his father recently passed away, longtime family friend Debo (Debo Akibe) takes him under her wing. She guides him on their community’s livelihood of performing cultural practices for tourists. When he meets fellow teens rebelling from these ancient ways to be more modern, Kanto feels torn on whether he should follow his peers or stay connected with traditions to feel connected to his father’s spirit.