Namibia no sabaku

Yôko Yamanaka’s second feature follows a 21-year-old Japanese woman of vacillating and unpredictable humour as she swaps one boyfriend for another. A beautician with little commitment to her work and no real desire to achieve anything, she can sometimes be cruel and aggressive. A wild child? She is simply alive. Nevertheless, unconvincing doctors diagnose her with bipolar disorder. With its dry editing and zooms, the film conveys the disarray of a woman battling against a society that is still rigid and patriarchal. (Cannes Film Festival)