In the early eighties, Shinji Somai shook Japan with his record-breaking film, Sailor-Fuku To Kikanju and now celebrates his 20th anniversary as a filmmaker with his 13th film, a love story that unravels as a road movie. Yuriko, a prostitute, sets out on a trip to Hokkaido to meet the daughter whom she had left five years ago. On a drunken whim, Kenji, a government bureaucrat on probation, offers to drive her there. With nothing in common, they engage in constant fighting. Once they reach their destination, Yuriko is denied seeing her daughter by her adopted parents and Kenji receives notice that he is fired. Kyoko Koizumi, known for her popular presence in TV commercials, and Tadanobu Asano, who is considered an upcoming star in Japanese cinema, give superb performances. But what is more noteworthy about this film is the bittersweet love between the two main characters who like kaza-hanas, the snowflakes which blow in the direction of the snow covered mountains, futilely agonize over their own existence. (Shion Yang)