Best of the Fests
DESERT OF NAMIBIA
Directed by Yôko Yamanaka
Japan, 2025, 2h 7min, DCP, In Japanese with English subtitles
AFS Cinema
6406 N I-35 Suite 3100 Austin, TX 78752
Pricing
$13.50 evening / $11 matinee (available M-F for shows before 6 PM)
$4 discounts for AFS MAKE & WATCH members. Free for LOVE & Impact Circle members.
Discounts for AISD educators and local high school & college students are available at the box office with a valid school ID.
“A formal exercise miles away from the clichés that abound about contemporary Japan.”
—Première
“Universal and impressive … Reminiscent of Pialat and Cassavetes.”
—Les Inrocks
In her second feature, Yôko Yamanaka delivers “a slap to the face of Japanese society” (L’Humanité). DESERT OF NAMIBIA follows Kana, a pathologically directionless 21-year-old navigating the emotional wasteland of modern Tokyo, flitting between unfulfilled dreams and unsteady relationships on a rocky path of self-discovery. Teeming with striking visuals and bold storytelling, this Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2024 selection possesses the same reckless abandon as its lead.
