A film depicting the difficulties faced by a Myanmarese family living in Japan as they await their refugee status determination. Passage of Life is Fujimoto Akio’s feature-length directorial debut that won him the Best Asian Future Film Award at the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival. Although it is a fiction film based on a true story, the realistic plot and tension akin to a documentary captivate the audience. The protagonist, who participated in the democratization movement in his native Myanmar and fled the country, is waiting to be granted refugee status in Japan with his wife and two sons. His application is rejected, however, and he is detained by the Immigration Service Bureau. Scared and troubled about continuing their lives in Japan, his wife and two sons return to Myanmar. Yet, the children who grew up speaking Japanese are plagued by a deep sense of anxiety and loneliness in the unfamiliar surroundings of their home country. All four members of the family are played by non-professional Myanmarese actors. (TERUOKA Sozo)