There's no definitive separation as long as there is memory'. Since the Tsunami hit the northern part of Japan's coast in 2011, more than 20 thousand people lost their lives, and many others are still missing. As time went by the families of the victims abandoned all hope and stopped looking for their loved ones. However, this is the story of two men that are still fully committed to their respective searching activities. Even though their backgrounds are extremely different, both share a strong force of will and firmly wish to keep alive the memories of the ones that went missing. Perseverance is what pushed an ex-convict to look for redemption by helping the victims' families to find the remains of their loved ones, and perseverance is what brought a bus driver to start to dive in order to search for his wife.
Cinematography
Underwater shots that turn murky depths into sacred space.
Direction
Squarcia refuses easy catharsis — grief stays unresolved.
Director
Lorenzo Squarcia
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Yasuo Takamatsu learned to dive at age 56 specifically to search for his wife Yuko; as of 2023, he was still diving weekly.
The title 'Koi' references both 'love' (恋) and the carp that swim upstream — a Buddhist symbol of perseverance against impossible currents.
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