Vicky Krieps-Starrer ‘Yakushima’s Illusion,’ Directed by Kawase Naomi, Set for Locarno World Premiere

Japanese director Kawase Naomi’s drama “Yakushima’s Illusion” (“L’Illusion de Yakushima”), starring Vicky Krieps, will world premiere at the upcoming Locarno Film Festival as a late addition to the competition.

Naomi, who is Japan’s best-known female film director, has been keeping a relatively low profile on the international festival circuit since 2022, when she was accused of bullying her company staff and assaulting a member of her film crew. The issue was resolved out of court.

“Yakushima’s Illusion,” which is Naomi’s first feature since her 2020 adoption drama “True Mothers,” is the tale of Corry, a French coordinator of pediatric heart transplants – played by Krieps – who is sent to Japan where organ donation remains taboo.

“As she fights to save a young boy, her partner Jin, a photographer from Yakushima, suddenly vanishes. He becomes a ‘Johatsu,’ as the Japanese call the 80,000 people who disappear overnight each year. Corry faces a double ordeal: saving a child while coping with the loss of the man she loves,” says the provided synopsis.

“When I make a movie, I follow an invisible thread — one woven into the larger tapestry of dreams,” Krieps said in a statement. “This particular thread led me deep into the ancient forests of Yakushima and back into the gentle heart of childhood. I walked the delicate line between ghosts and reality, drawn by the mystery of love.“

Krieps is expected to make the trek to promote the film in Locarno, where it will launch on Aug. 15.

The Locarno Film Festival, which is Europe’s indie cinema temple, will run Aug. 6-16.