DESERT OF NAMIBIA

Kana (Yuumi Kawai), 21-years-old, works as an assistant at a beauty salon. Thinking about the future is too tedious for her and she doesn’t even know what she wants in life. She has no passion for books, movies, music, never thought of going to college, and doesn’t even have a passport. The only thing she’s into is ''love,'' feeling that it fills her emptiness. Noted Gen Z director Yoko Yamanaka’s second feature is a slice-of-life portrait of an aimless young woman who leaves the passionless security of her longtime boyfriend for the initial excitement of another man she meets casually on a night-out with a friend. Part coming-of-age tale, part exploration of generational malaise and mental health in post-pandemic Japan, DESERT OF NAMIBIA is a stunning portrait of a young woman on the verge, with Kawai’s stunningly understated and magnetic performance at its center. This film is nominated for the Kau Ka Hōkū Award presented by Hawaiian Airlines.