A collaboration with Eiko Ishibashi, who composed the music for Drive My Car (2021), to create a performance video accidentally became a feature-length film, Evil Does Not Exist. Eiko Ishibashi’s music leaves a strong impression and opens another chapter in Hamaguchi’s oeuvre. The film is set in a small mountain village which is close to Tokyo but not yet developed. As the coronavirus crisis draws to a close, a town meeting is held to discuss the idea of building a glamping campground in the town. The developing company explains that the campground will help revitalize the local economy. As it faces opposition, however, it devises a stunt to convince the residents. The grandeur and beauty of the natural scenery and the somewhat surreal nature of the scenes evoke a different emotion from Hamaguchi’s previous films, and they are accompanied by his characteristically specific situational descriptions and dialog. It’s a movie that keeps you wondering how many masters there are in Hamaguchi’s cinematic roots further to Eric Romer or Kurosawa Kiyoshi. (NAM Dong-chul)