A teenage girl, Akiko, returns to her small home town in Japan after seven years in South America and finds that her old friends and the rest of the town are afraid to go near her. Akiko had contracted the AIDS virus during a blood transfusion while she was away, and the news hit the town before she... [More]

A teenage girl, Akiko, returns to her small home town in Japan after seven years in South America and finds that her old friends and the rest of the town are afraid to go near her. Akiko had contracted the AIDS virus during a blood transfusion while she was away, and the news hit the town before she returned, causing fear and paranoia to envelop her village. Eventually, Akiko's best friend, Natsumi, comes around and begins to realize that Akiko is having a hard time coping with her illness and rethinks her initial fear of her friend's condition. With the help of Natsumi, Akiko is able to gain the support and of the entire community and, in turn, helps them get past their own prejudice and ignorance about her disease. A beautiful and poignant Japanese film with stunning cinematography. [Less]