A Tender Place (柔らかな頬 | Yawaraka Na Hou), Shunichi Nagasaki, 2001

The director Nagasaki transports us to the remote, barren wilderness of Hokkaido, the most northerly of the four main islands that make up Japan, in a compelling three and a half hour DV-shot epic based on an original novel by Natsuo Kirino that ostensibly deals with the search of a young mother for her missing five-year-old daughter. That Nagasaki manages to keep us riveted throughout the lengthy 200-minute running time is a testimony to his actors and his own skills as a filmmaker. A substantial and absorbing mood piece, rich in detail, raw in emotional charge, thought-provoking, gripping and poignant, A Tender Place is nothing short of a masterpiece.