Desert of Namibia w/SLIP

21-year-old Kana (rising star Yuumi Kawai) works a disaffected job at a beauty salon, where she bristles against the beauty expectations placed on women her age. Her erratic mood and default to self-destruct impacts all of her relationships, as moments of levity erupt into violence and optimism simmers to despair. Bored with her slavish boyfriend, she finds another; the novel excitement of it all soon devolving into a volatile predicament. Uncommitted and trapped in her own life, Kana slowly makes her way towards the inner desert of her emotions.

Alternating between claustrophobic blocking, ample zooms and expressive whip-pans brought together by dryly comedic editing and an intense actors direction, the sophomore effort from director Yoko Yamanaka (the youngest filmmaker to have a film selected at the Berlin International Film Festival with her 2017 debut Amiko) provides a frank and dynamic examination of womanhood and mental health in contemporary Japan. Inspired by the female protagonists of Yasuzo Masumura as much as the intense Cassavetes/Rowlands collaboration, Yamanaka breaks out with a work of stark confrontational honesty.

Yoko Yamanaka’s Desert of Namibia is profoundly affecting; imbued with a calm, introverted cruelty; like a girl without a home standing on any Tokyo street corner saying to the world, I don’t understand! Lou Ye (Suzhou River)

“Yamanakas film defies clich by depicting an unpleasant side of girlhood that many would prefer to deny exists.” – Ariana King, Far-Near

“With Desert of Namibia, Yoko Yamanaka creates a heroine for our thoroughly addled times.” Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue

“Desert of Namibia is a somewhat unclassifiable film, but its deeply felt, defiant, embodied female.” – Blake Simons, IndieWire

directed by: Yoko Yamanaka
starring: Yuumi Kawaii, Daichi Kaneko, Kanichiro, Erika Karata
2024 / 137 min / 1.33:1 / Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1

Additional info:

• Region A Blu-ray
• High Definition presentation
• Theatrical Trailer
• Interview with director Yoko Yamanaka (2025)
• Panel discussion with director Yoko Yamanaka and actor Yuumi Kawaii (2024)
• Audio Commentary with director Yoko Yamanaka and actors Yuumi Kawaii, Daichi Kaneko, and Kanichiro
• Featurette “Yoko in NYC” (Aaron Hunt, 2025)
• Q&A with director Yoko Yamanaka at MOMI First Look (2025)
• Booklet with on-set photographs and new writing from critic Katherine Connell
• New art from Dylan Haley