Ex-con Yukio has come to a town surrounded by the mountains, the sea, lava flows and desert for vengeance against Yoji, the man who betrayed him. But instead Yukio becomes obsessed with Rika, a mysterious beauty. While his political films <United Red Army> (2008), <Caterpillar> (2010) and <MISHIMA> (2012) pursue strict social realism, Wakamatsu Koji’s new film Petrel Hotel BLUE is surreal, genrecrossing and raw which reminds the old day when he was working on Pink films. With dreamlike juxtapositions and music by Jim O’Rourke of punk rock group Sonic Youth, it’s both a modern rendition and reminiscent of Wakamatsu’s films of the 60’s and 70’s. (YANG Shion)