Kao / Face (2000)

The story of a socially awkward seamstress and her unexpected, darkly humorous journey, FACE brought international attention to its innovative director, Junji Sakamoto, and to Naomi Fujiyama, a Japanese stage actress making her searing film debut. Fujiyama plays Masako, whose unhappy life is turned upside down by a series of tragic occurrences in her family. She becomes a fugitive, but her odyssey through the Japanese countryside–marked by unexpected twists and fascinating characters–proves strangely liberating.