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| BIFF 2025. From left to right: Tetsuya Mariko, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and Gwei Lun-Mei. All images courtesy of Roji Films, TOEI COMPANY, LTD. |
“They couldn’t understand each other, so they couldn’t work together”. This quote is delivered by the world-renowned Japanese actor Hidetoshi Nishijima via his character, Kenji Saiga. It’s a one-line commentary on the Tower of Babel. However, in a much more immediate sense, it becomes a subtle metaphor on the delicate balance between the two protagonists of Tetsuya Mariko’s latest feature, “DEAR STRANGER”.
Set entirely in New York, Mariko’s ambitious international project, presented at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, is a modern exercise on marriage, interpersonal relationships strained by language barriers and clashing ambitions, and - unexpectedly - love. Love that resists easy definitions. Love that transcends the narrow perception of what family bonds are actually built upon. Add into the mix several underlying yet bold elements of conflict, and you have Mariko’s version of tragedy: an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude, as once defined by Aristotle, and executed by the writer-director himself, in a deceivingly tranquil and at the same time surprisingly turbulent take.
“DEAR STRANGER” centers on a seemingly ordinary Asian couple living in New York. Kenji Saiga, a Japanese assistant professor of architecture fascinated by ruins, struggles to secure tenure. His wife Jane Yang, a Taiwanese-American artist, is trying to balance raising their son Kai with minimal support from her husband and maintaining her familial duties towards her parents, all without abandoning her cherished career as a puppeteer. When fate intervenes and their son is kidnapped, the couple is forced to confront not only their past and inner demons, but also the secrets and true feelings that threaten to surface.
Gwei Lun-Mei, known for her performances in “BLACK COAL, THIN ICE”, “THE WILD GOOSE LAKE”, and “WEEKEND IN TAIPEI”, portrays Jane, a complex figure whose contradictions stem from the clash between societal expectations and her personal aspirations. Her poignant depiction of a conflicted mother, wife, and above all human and artist shines throughout the entire film. Opposite her is Hidetoshi Nishijima, one of Japan’s most notable actors, celebrated internationally for his roles in “DRIVE MY CAR”, “SUNNY”, “2/DUO”, and “CUT”. Nishijima delivers a brilliant performance as Kenji, a character that every now and then appears arrogant and simultaneously bewildered. The two of them walk a thin line between yearning for genuine connection and intimacy, while remaining utterly closed off from one another. Their contrasting dreams and career ambitions often interfere with their fragile relationship, complicating among other aspects of their lives, the upbringing of their son, Kai. That is until their child gets kidnapped and the precarious dynamics of the couple become even more pronounced and intricate.
Much has been said about Mariko’s success in securing such high-profile actors for the leads in his multi-layered story. However, not enough attention has been paid to the equally impressive crew behind the film. Starting with Japanese cinematographer Yasuyuki Sasaki (“ASAKO I & II”), this marks his second feature film collaboration with Tetsuya Mariko, following their prominent success with “DESTRUCTION BABIES”. This time, joined by Rikuo Ueno (“DRIVE MY CAR”), they craft a sinister atmosphere, emphasizing haunting visuals of city ruins and abandoned buildings. Their grim aesthetic is further intensified by French colorist Yov Moor (“GRAND TOUR”, “L’AMOUR OUF”, “LOCUST”, “MONGREL”), whose gray, grainy treatment of the remaining locations evokes a sense of timelessness while echoing the highly stylized aesthetic of neo-noir thrillers.
The music of the film is crafted by Grammy Award winner Jim O’Rourke (“DEMONLOVER”, “DESERT MOON”, “UNITED RED ARMY”, “YOKO’S JOURNEY TO 658KM”). As is typical of his work, his approach is minimal; yet, in keeping with the film’s theme, he doesn’t shy away from eerie notes that intensify its already unsettling atmosphere. It is precisely the subtle presence of his score that elevates the film from a mystery to a fully realized thriller. On the other hand, the soundscape of “DEAR STRANGER” is meticulously captured by Hiroaki Kanachi (“THE DEPTHS,” “HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI”, “THE LONELY FIGURE”), who navigates challenging locations by carefully highlighting ambient noise and capturing environmental cues without overpowering dialogue. Under the careful guidance of sound supervision masters Wu Chen-Yu (“SIMA’S SONG”) and Tu Duu-Chih (“A CITY OF SADNESS”,”A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY”, “HAPPY TOGETHER”, “YI YI”, “IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE”), the audio of the film transforms its visual storytelling into a tender sensory experience. In that and in every other aspect, “DEAR STRANGER” is not just an international production, it is a vision of cinematic royalty.
While the film’s international nature inevitably stems from its cast and crew, originating from Japan, China, and the United States, its true global vision emerges through its multilingual dialogue. The script alternates between English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish, highlighting the struggles caused by miscommunication and cultural friction, as well as the emotional distance that Kenji, Jane, and those around them must navigate. As Jane exhales in resignation, stating, “And this language we use, it’s not ours”, the audience feels the raw ache of speaking yet not fully being understood. Nevertheless, Mariko reminds us that connection transcends words: through Michael Krysiewicz, a deaf actor who performs as a member in Jane’s company, sign language enters the story, offering a moment of seamless communication and revealing the profound effort it takes to truly understand one another beyond language.
Building on the film’s main motifs, Aitor Martin (“GO ON”, “THE CULPRIT’S CALLING”) and Mia Reece (“LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT”, “A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS”), as Miguel and Monica respectively, do a splendid job in showcasing contrasting layers of lived experiences compared to Jane and Kenji. The epitome of this dichotomy is, however, Julian Wang’s portrayal of Donny, a pivotal character brought to life with the utmost care by an actor with surprisingly little prior experience. Meanwhile, Christopher Mann (“THE CALLING”, “THE RIGHT STUFF”, “CREED II”), serves as the catalyst in this complex story, bringing a certain balance to the mix with a more grounded approach as Detective Bixby. In one of the film’s climactic scenes, he can be seen holding Ludwig Wittgenstein’s “Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus”, a book exploring the relationship between language and reality. This detail offers the audience a glimpse into the story’s deeper layers, as well as a better understanding of what is truly going on, while circling back to the film’s central theme.
Having said that, language is not the only recurring theme in “DEAR STRANGER”. Elements such as puppetry and architecture further advance Jane and Kenji’s individual narratives, serving as metaphors for their respective ambitions and hidden beliefs. Jane is striving to maintain a career as a puppeteer, an artform that gives purpose to her otherwise mundane and demanding life, but one that also seems to consume her mentally. Blair Thomas, an internationally famous puppeteer active in Chicago since 1985, collaborates with Gwei Lun-Mei on one of the film’s most revelatory scenes, in which Jane confronts her conflicting duties and aspirations, as well as her internalized guilt. Blair oversees all the remaining puppet sequences, and as the story unfolds revealing a character entangled in a situation of their own making, it becomes unmistakably clear that Jane is not merely the one holding the strings; more often than not, she is the one caught in them.
When it comes to Kenji, it is ruins and architecture that move him. Shaped by personal experiences of tragedy as perceived through physical spaces, he gravitates toward ruins and abandoned buildings, insisting that the beauty found in destruction can reveal a new truth. The shooting location itself embodies this paradox of destruction and rebirth, with New York standing as an emblematic city full of both. When asked about ruins often becoming breeding grounds for crime, Kenji defends his vision of an “architectural apocalypse”. More than a legal or sociopolitical issue, the question becomes a philosophical meditation on whether the relationship between Kenji and Jane is worth preserving. It also mirrors Kenji’s reluctance to confront his past and acknowledge the darker elements within himself. Moreover, the paintings created by Kai, portrayed by young Everest Talde, and the graffiti left by Donny, which often adorn these buildings, form an invisible link that slips easily past notice.
Mariko does an excellent job of bringing to the forefront the subtle cultural nuances of each character, without losing sight of the larger picture. Under his direction, every character is distinct and every plotline is handled with care and integrity. “DEAR STRANGER” grapples with a variety of issues, yet the focus of the story is not the kidnapping or the mystery itself. This film is not plot-driven, but character-driven. That said, Golden Horse Award–winning editor Matthieu Laclau (“A TOUCH OF SIN”) crafts a compelling pace that heightens tension and sustains engagement throughout.
The film evokes themes reminiscent of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “BABEL” and Noah Baumbach’s “MARRIAGE STORY”. Any similarities arise not from imitation, but because “DEAR STRANGER” tells a story that, at its core, conceals a universal truth. This is a film not meant to be consumed hastily; it demands careful attention and reflection. The issues it presents are diverse, multi-layered, and often contradictory: a wife striving for freedom while punishing herself for her choices through self-imposed entrapment; a husband seeking acceptance yet refusing accountability; two men envying each other despite their vastly different socio-economic positions. No character is a pure hero or villain here. They all carry both incriminating evidence and redeeming qualities. “DEAR STRANGER” aims to be many things at once, but above all, it succeeds in being utterly gripping.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Tetsuya Mariko is one of the most notable filmmakers in contemporary Japanese cinema, known for his unique creativity. Born in Japan in 1981, he graduated from the Graduate School of Film and New Media at Tokyo University of the Arts. His debut feature, “YELLOW KID” (2009), was invited to various film festivals, including Hong Kong, Rotterdam, and San Sebastian, and won the Dragons & Tigers Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival. His second feature, “DESTRUCTION BABIES” (2016), received numerous international awards, including the Golden Leopard for Best Emerging Director at the Locarno Film Festival and the Silver Balloon at the Nantes Three Continents Festival. He later won the Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Director with "MIYAMOTO" (2019). From March 2019, he spent a year in Boston as a visiting researcher at the Reischauer Institute at Harvard University. When invited as a jury member at the Chicago International Film Festival, he began conceptualizing “DEAR STRANGER”.
Busan International Film Festival - Screenings
Saturday, September 20 - 13:30 - Community Media Center
Wednesday, September 24 - 16:30 - CGV Centum City 6