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, 
Performances from the entire cast are spectacular. There is not a loose thread in the bunch. Here is where things get tricky. To tell you more about the plot defeats the purpose. You need to go into with as little information as possible. The complexity of MISSING is relentless. Do not get comfortable with what you think you know. Writer-director Shinzô Katayama and co-writers Kazuhisa Kodera and Ryô Takada bring twist after twist. I stopped counting at a certain point. The final scene is a mindblowing metaphor for everything we witness in two hours. Wow doesn’t even begin to cover it. Fantastic Fest 2022 audiences are in for one of the year’s best features.
Rageaholic has a distinct three-act storytelling structure. Act one finds Detective Fukama in a drug and alcohol-assisted haze of aggression. When his behavior makes for negative PR for the force and the local community of Fujimi, he is shipped off to the United States for some unique rehabilitation. 
Act three; those driven from society now reside in squalid tent cities but thrive in their kinship. Confronted with how he ultimately fits into the grander scheme of control, Fukama must find the balance between good and evil to set things right. The depraved violence that ensues feels right. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to wincing and a lot of cheering.
Sick cinematography and a killer opening bring Fantaspoa 2022 audiences into the intensely scary world of 
Urara Takano plays Kingyo, a voice actress whose passion for her work is clear to the audience from the very beginning. In 15 minutes we get an emotional journey worth every second of screen time. Competing with a new generation proficient in self-promotion, how does a dedicated veteran compete? The Voice Actress gives us a peek behind the curtain that is the boys club of entertainment, while simultaneously putting us inside the mind of an accomplished performer. Writer-director Anna J. Takayama gives Takano space to bloom. I would happily watch a feature on this character. There is a purposeful beauty to the costumes, especially the use of the color red. The undeniable quirkiness from Takano makes you fall in love with her. It’s no wonder the short garnered SXSW22’s 
Hirokazu Kore-eda (
Is it fair to categorize Air Doll as an unusual coming-of-age story? Perhaps, a story of enlightened consciousness would be better suited. Air Doll is yet another perfectly thoughtful addition to Dekanalog‘s collection of films. It begs larger questions of existence and life, exploring the meaning of happiness on a grander scale. The film’s evolution is endlessly surprising. You won’t be able to look away. Air Doll is truly something special.
You must be logged in to post a comment.