8 Views of Lake Biwa

What it’s about

Hanake and her best friend live in an isolated fishing village where the old ways still hold. They watch yachts heading for Kyoto and speak of first love in prayers and poems. A recent disaster has unsettled the community, and people turn to erotic art or spiritual spells to cope. The girls sense that intimacy alone may not be enough to work through what has happened.

What hooks you

Marko Raat directs this Estonian-Finnish melodrama, with Elina Masing as Hanake and Tiina Tauraite as Õnne. The story draws on the region's otherworldly edge, mixing mysticism with raw emotion, and the cast also includes Tommi Korpela and Hendrik Toompere.

Who it’s for

It is worth a look for anyone who likes slow-burning emotional dramas where grief and friendship are explored in a setting that feels both real and enchanted.