UNDER THE OPEN SKY World Cinema

Film critic Amy Nicholson leads a conversation with filmmaker Miwa Nishikawa.

Having been behind bars for 13 years for murder, Masao Mikami (Koji Yakusho) is released from prison and now finds himself in a world very different than the one he knew when he went in. As a tatted and scarred ex-Yakuza man, settling back into society is not easy. People look at him apprehensively, the social welfare system is clunky and finding a new career is daunting.

As he navigates his new life, he struggles not to fall back on his old ways. Enter Tsunoda (Taiga Nakano), a kind television producer who wants to produce a sensationalized show about Mikamisan and help him better his life in the process. Based on a novel by Ryuzo Saki, veteran director Miwa Nishikawa crafts a compelling character-driven drama exploring human nature and the possibility for redemption. –Eric Moore