A family of medical experts. A daughter with schizophrenia. A truth they refused to see.

In 1983, at the age of 24, director FUJINO Tomoaki’s older sister Masako, a kind and caring person, began showing symptoms of schizophrenia. Having excelled academically, she was set to follow in her parents’ footsteps as a medical student. But her sudden outbursts — disconnected from reality and increasingly erratic — derailed those plans.

Despite the severity of her symptoms, Masako’s parents — both highly-trained doctors and researchers — refused to acknowledge her condition. They dismissed the signs of illness, declined psychiatric treatment, and insisted that everything was normal. Troubled by their denial, Tomoaki pleaded with them to seek help, but to no avail. As the emotional strain deepened and tensions remained unresolved, he eventually left the family home, burdened by a deep and lasting inner turmoil.

In 2001, nearly two decades later, Tomoaki, now a trained film director, decided to turn the camera on everyday moments of his family, grappling with unanswered questions and unresolved pain. Over time, as Masako’s condition worsened, Tomoaki witnessed their parents choose to lock her inside the house, securing the front door with multiple padlocks — effectively erasing her presence from public view.

In this deeply personal and emotionally charged documentary, director FUJINO Tomoaki presents a haunting examination of family taboos, human dignity, as well as self-destruction through illness, while posing a question for which there is no correct answer.

Photo Credit: Ⓒ Moving Images Studio Zou-shima 2023

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 (JFTFP26) showcases some of the most unmissable Japanese films nationwide across the UK.

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Director FUJINO Tomoaki
Year 2024
Duration 1h 42m
Language Japanese with English Subtitles