Plan 75

2022 / 113 min / color

Japan is a country renowned for its advanced technology and excellent medical care, which translate to a high life expectancy for its people. Combined with a low fertility rate however, it’s a harbinger of economic stagnation and imbalance within society. The country’s rapidly aging population becomes a wake-up call for the government, and a solution is found in a program called Plan 75, which encourages euthanasia for people over the age of 75. Advertisements posted everywhere, aimed at confused senior citizens, tout the benefits of the revolutionary program. The big selling point is a compensation package that allows the Plan’s participants, who are often living on the brink of poverty, to actualize one last dream. An elderly woman whose livelihood is quickly drying up, a pragmatic Plan salesman, a Filipino worker — they’re all facing crucial choices. Director Chie Hayakawa, considered one of Japan’s most gifted directors, creates a dystopian but disturbingly realistic vision of the near future. Plan 75, which was a Japanese Oscar nominee, combines lyrical elements with sharp social commentary.

• Cannes IFF – Golden Camera (Special Mention)
• Thessaloniki IFF – Bronze Alexander, FIPRESCI Prize, Human Values Award