Wang Qi

In 2023, over 80,000 people went missing in Japan, with 30,000 dying alone. Ten percent remained unidentified, known as “muenbotoke” (buddhas without connections). Satsuki works part-time at an NGO near Ueno Park, indifferent to her job and the faces of those seeking help, until she stumbles upon the diary of a deceased homeless man. Toshi, a fellow drifter in the park, tells her that her encounter with the man’s ghost is no accident. Guided by the diary, they embark on a journey into the past to uncover the man’s identity, which is deeply intertwined with Ueno’s post-war history. Along the way, they meet those whose lives the ghost touched, each revealing a story of a man who willingly cut ties with his family. Satsuki’s dreams and memories lead her astray, uncovering a bitter truth. Her search for answers about the vanished finds resolution in Toshi, who waits for the third reincarnation of his late wife.

Liu wants to sell his unprofitable travel agency business. One day, when one of his employees falls into a coma for a dubious reason, his family and relatives come to Liu, demanding a settlement. Meanwhile, Liu's ex-wife Tao Qing, a middle school teacher, is troubled by her lover who keeps on delaying their marriage, and his teenage daughter, while her son Yi Fan, who has no experiences or skills to show for or things he wants to do, happens to befriend a group of people who illegally drive cars. Director Wang Qi, who is visiting Busan for the first time with THE BARGAIN, depicts a dense narrative of a dispersed family that is struggling in the rapidly changing modern Chinese society and the wave of capitalism. The occasional handheld camera and close-up shots placed appropriately throughout the film add powerful emotions to the sober narrative.

A boyish prank on a dismal school playground goes horribly awry and a schoolgirl is baldy injured. Only one of the boys involved tries to help her. But his attempt to take responsibility for his actions gets lost in the self-centred hubbub generated by the mothers and teachers. Shot in one continuous take, the film explores the meaning of truth and reality – not just in terms of content but also on a formal level.