Paperheart

Divorced salaryman Yoji has just buried his mother in Tokyo. With few meaningful relationships left, he comes to grips with the realization that he has nothing to live for. A chance encounter with Minerva, a Filipina migrant worker who appears to sense his sadness, urges him to see his situation in a new way. A former nightclub entertainer, Minerva now works as a caregiver to provide for her only child in the Philippines. When Yoji discovers the decomposing corpse of his neighbor, an old man whose name he does not know, the death is ruled a kodokushi, or the lonely death. Unwilling to meet the same fate, Yoji throws caution to the wind to follow Minerva to Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.

The world becomes unpredictable when the pandemic happens. But in the face of despair, people put aside reasons and stop worrying. For these couples from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Korea, even love blossoms. They embrace each other and cling to one another desperately and fearlessly. Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Seoul. Three couples in three cities in three countries: The paths of a telemarketer for a loan company and a cart rink owner are destined to cross. A pub owner and a woman with their own background stories. A virgin forklift operator who has never kissed before and a kiss-for-sale manager.

A 23-year-old man looking to escape the burden of his alcoholic mother strikes up an illicit online relationship with a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

After her father goes missing, a young girl slowly becomes entirely possessed by grief. It seems as if an outside force has taken control of her emotions.

Bendera, an Indonesian nationalist group, is angry with Malaysia. Its leader has asked for his country to declare war on Malaysia. Having affection for Indonesia, our Malaysian filmmaker does not understand why some of its people hate him and his country. So he asks them why.

A boy comes home one afternoon rain-soaked. He has fever later in the day and thinks he is going to die.