Kakera: A Piece of Our Life (2009)
Momoko Ando’s directorial debut, based on the manga ‘Love Vibes’ by Erica Sakurazawa, stars Hikari Mitsushima as college student Haru, who ditches her boorish boyfriend and embraces her inner lesbian. She is assisted in carving out her new identity by peppy prosthetic-limb maker Riko (Eriko Nakamura) and the middle-aged Toko (Rino Katase) who, through their interactions with her, help the emotionally inexperienced Haru grow into an independent woman.
Depicting Tokyo’s diversity and acceptance of differences, the film touches upon the city’s many coexisting identities and cultures. Besides its storytelling charms, ‘Kakera’ also contains a wonderful scene in which aging director Kohei Ando gives a passionate lecture on the literary and cultural merits of Günter Grass’s classic novel ‘The Tin Drum’.