DEAR TOMORROW
SXSW 2025 documentary DEAR TOMORROW delves into the epidemic of loneliness. Filmmaker Kaspar Astrup Schröder follows two Japanese citizens who suffer from severe loneliness. Schröder quietly observes them through their physical and emotional isolation and a subsequent few conversations with the mental health hotline, “A Place For You.”
The film features chat text scrawling across the screen. Masato and Shoko seem to lead similar lives. Both in their forties with no family around them to cushion the blow of isolation, they try different things to lessen the sadness. Masato gets a pet owl, while Shoko takes the advice of a volunteer and reaches out to a former classmate. While these momentary actions provide a dopamine hot and hope, the underlying echoes of doubt remain steadfast.
Founder Koki Ozara uses data to prioritize calls, but with over 1000 a day, the demand far outreaches their ability to serve the population. Nationally, Ozara works in tandem with the Japanese government to address the problem with a global symposium. But, as the film progresses, the most basic solutions prove complicated. Red tape, like everywhere else in the world, stands in the way of genuine help.
The exquisite music instills a deep longing that beautifully mirrors the desire to connect with the two subjects. The film’s structure forces us to slow down and authentically watch.
DEAR TOMORROW is an excellent companion watch for Steve Buscemi‘s THE LISTENER. Viewing is a mix of emotions, from crestfallen to hopeful. All I kept thinking about in the film’s quiet moments were hastily put-together solutions brought about by my fixer mentality. I understood much of what Masato and Shoko felt, as I am a mother in my forties who now contemplates daily feelings of isolation and identity. It can feel like a vice.
Masato and Shoko are undeniably brave to share their most intimate fears. Mental health often comes with a stigma that becomes politicized and kept at arm’s length out of fear. If Covid-19 lockdowns taught us anything, we cannot continue to sweep it under the rug. Humanity must do better for each other. DEAR TOMORROW puts all of these things front and center in a universally relatable way. Revealing, raw, and relentlessly touching SXSW audiences will be moved.
Director/Screenwriter: Kaspar Astrup Schröder, Producers: Maria Helga Stürup, Katrine A. Sahlstrøm
In Japan, where loneliness has become a national crisis, the film follows three individuals battling isolation. Through a volunteer chat service, compassionate connections, and government initiatives, they find hope and paths to reclaim their lives. (World Premiere)
Remaining Dear Tomorrow Screenings:
Dear Tomorrow at Violet Crown Cinema 1
Mar 9, 2025
9:30pm — 11:01pm
Dear Tomorrow at Violet Crown Cinema 3
Mar 9, 2025
9:30pm — 11:01pm
Dear Tomorrow at Alamo Lamar 5
Mar 13, 2025
11:00am — 12:31pm
Dear Tomorrow at Alamo Lamar 6
Mar 13, 2025
11:00am — 12:31pm
Credits
Director:
Kaspar Astrup Schröder
Executive Producer:
Katrine A. Sahlstrøm, Kaspar Astrup Schröder, Katrine Philp, Patricia Drati, Boris B. Bertram
Producer:
Maria Helga Stürup, Katrine A. Sahlstrøm
Screenwriter:
Kaspar Astrup Schröder
Cinematographer:
Kaspar Astrup Schröder
Editor:
Laura Skiöld Østerud, Kaspar Astrup Schröder
Sound Designer:
Ted Krotkiewski
Music:
Jon Ekstrand
Additional Credits:
Co-producer: Michael Krotkiewski, Co-producer: David Herdies, Co-producer: Huang Yin-Yu
For all things SXSW, 
David Borenstein has worked in the documentary industry on three different continents. He has produced and directed TV for BBC, PBS, ARTE, Al Jazeera, DR, Vice, and many more international broadcasters. Borenstein directed Can’t Feel Nothing (2024), Love Factory (2021), and Dream Empire (2016). 
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