Niji no shita ni

Directed by J.R. Heffelfinger

Yasuda, an overburdened and under appreciated "salary-man", works tirelessly at his job. Confined to his cubicle and suffocating under an avalanche of incomplete work orders, there's more than a hint of bathos in his voice as he answers the phone: "Rainbow Travel-We Sell Dreams." Outpaced by younger colleagues and badgered at home, Yasuda escapes into his imagination to discover the world of pop music, pachinko parlors and tragic teenage love, in this nuanced portrait of life in 21st-century Japan. J.R. Heffelfinger's delightful first feature is touched by the spirits of Kurosawa and Imamura, filled with unexpected wonders and gentle humor, and radiating with the resilient glow of life.