A Drifting Man and A Wandering Girl

A young man travels around in a truck while turning an 8mm camera. In his hometown in Kansai, he meets a high school girl. The film tells the story of the moratorium of youth through the connection of seemingly unrelated episodes between the young man and the girl. A truck driving through the city, a teacher from high school, an exchange with the girl. The film is full of transparency, with a conscious interplay between black and white and colour, as if it were a mental picture of the young man himself. In the last scene, the girl turns the 8mm camera on herself, and her face, enveloped in light, is refreshing.

Directed by Koichi Matsunaga, A Drifting Man and A Wandering Girl leans on a strong ensemble — Imanishi Keiko, Simon Kumai — 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 screen titles of 1989.