A Gap in the Skin

Japanese 'pink' filmmaker Takahisa Zeze directs this highly stylised and almost dialogue-free film, which has its roots in the brutal and erotic but has made the crossover to arthouse cinema. Two young people, Hidenori and Sunako (Kenji Otani and Fujiko), are on the run from the law following Hidenori's killing of his mother. The two manage to hitch a ride in a passing ice-cream van, but Sunako is assaulted by its driver while bathing in a stream in a forest. They escape through the trees, eventually ending up in a secluded wooden cottage where they hide out, eking out a feral existence by raiding neighbouring gardens. With Hidenori still in a state of shock, Sunako eventually breaks the communication barrier using her body, seducing him in a bathtub full of floating ripe tomatoes. It is a turning point in their relationship, and Hidenori then becomes the sexually dominant partner in this strange relationship. But one day, Hidenori plunges a knife into his stomach, forcing the pair to leave their makeshift haven and seek help in the big city.