Tokyo, the late 1960s and a time when, world wide, students are pricking the cynical establishments conscience. Toru Watanabe’s personal life is similarly tumultuous; at heart he is deeply devoted to his first love, Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman but their complex bond has been forged by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Watanabe is crippled by this influence until Midori, a girl who is everything that Naoko is not, outgoing, vivacious and supremely self-confident, storms into his life; Haruki Murakami’s acclaimed novel is beautifully brought to the screen by Tran Anh Hung (Golden Lion winner for Cyclo and Academy Award nominee for The Scent of Green Papaya)