Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) is a middle-aged man who seems utterly content with his humble life as toilet cleaner in Tokyo. He drives around serenely from job to job in his van, listening to classic rock music on old-school audio cassettes. And outside of his very structured everyday routine, he indulges in his passion for books and taking photos of trees. But who is Hirayama? And does his monk-like existence conceal a mysterious past?

Much like most of his celebrated experimental work, the first film in six years from German director Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, Paris, Texas) – and his first in Japanese – defies categorisation. But spend some time with Hirayama and you’ll find a deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.

Nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Oscars.