DIAMONDS IN THE SAND
Synopsis
Yoji is a divorced Japanese salaryman living alone in Tokyo. After the loss of his caring mother, he faces an empty life without any meaningful relationship. A chance encounter with Minerva, a Filipina who works as a caregiver in Japan to support her daughter, prompts Yoji to look at his situation in a new light. Meanwhile, he discovers the decomposing body of an elderly neighbor, whose name he doesn’t know. His death is ruled to be a lonely death. Not wanting to suffer the same fate, Yoji throws caution and follows Minerva to Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
Director's biography
Janus Victoria is a writer and director born and based in Manila. She has been a long-time media practitioner and has produced current affairs documentaries for Philippine broadcast media. Her first short film, Hopia Express (2006), won the Best Short Film award at the 2006 Cinemanila International Film Festival (Phillipines). Her short documentary Encounters with Silence (2017) about lonely death (kodokushi) in Tokyo apartments, premiered at the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in Republic of Korea. Diamonds in the Sand (2024) is her first feature film.