To the Ends of the Earth (Tabi no Owari Sekai no Hajimari)

synopsis

Yoko (Atsuko Maeda, former J-pop star in her third collaboration with Kurosawa) is a cautious, introverted, and determined host of a popular TV travel show. On assignment in Uzbekistan - accompanied by her jaded director and an indifferent crew, her chipper persona begins to unravel, revealing the paranoia and dislocation beneath. Filled with absurdly humorous set pieces, and climaxing with a cathartic burst of song, To the Ends of the Earth is both an entertaining tale of culture clash and a penetrating depiction of a young woman's alienation and anxiety.