Someone To Watch Over You

DEBUT In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, two strangers navigate an unfamiliar new existence. Tae, a former school teacher, has recently moved from Tokyo to the home she inherited from her parents. Haunted by the death of a former student and distrusted by the townspeople around her, she lives a solitary existence. When her home is vandalized, she hires handyman Shinobu to stand guard outside in exchange for room and board. She doesn’t know that Shinobu is running from his own demons. Though Tae and Shinobu now share a home, they are almost totally isolated from one another, communicating through notes and bell-ringing. As the days of lockdown continue, they come to an uneasy understanding that they must rely on each other to survive. At the same time, each continues to exist in their own self-imposed isolation, unwilling to trust or be known by another.