Tokyo Soda Water

In many parts of Tokyo redevelopment is afoot, and the cityscape continues to change at a rapid pace. While on the surface Japan is easy to live in, many Japanese still feel a sense of emptiness in the aftermath of the shattered economic bubble, a condition that prevents them from making a change. Autumn 2006. Eight "normal" young women living in Tokyo--eight women now in the middle of change.

Directed by Toshiaki Iizuka, Tokyo Soda Water leans on a strong ensemble — Yuko Araki, Mayumi Furuse, Mariko Gotō — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2008.