With his trademark mix of tenderness and unexpected comedy, Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters) explores the meaning of love and relationships in this quirky story of an “air doll” that comes to life. The loneliness of life in the city is perfectly captured with a melancholy beauty.

Before winning the Palm D’Or with Shoplifters, Hirokazu Koreeda directed this crime thriller filled with nuance and complexity. Defying genre conventions, its whodunit aspect quickly makes room for a deeper exploration of truth, memory and the power of stories that we tell ourselves and others.