66th THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
31 OCTOBER → 9 NOVEMBER 2025
Focus: Commune 2008

Japan 2007 106 35mm Color
One spring day, a woman walks off a small airplane. Her name is Taeko. When she arrives at a nostalgic inn called Hamada, her unforgettable vacation on an island in the south starts. Every morning on the beach, people of the town practice the “Merci Exercise”, led by a middle-aged woman called Sakura. High school teacher Haruna ditches the class to hang out at the inn and on the beach. Sakura treats people on the beach to shaved ice. Everyone loves these carefree days and the sunbathing sessions at twighlight.