Complicity

Chen Liang (Lu Yulai) has left his native Henan where he lived with his ill mother and elderly grandmother. Wanting to pursue a new life away from his responsibilities and family pressures to have a respectable career, he decides to move to Japan. However, settling down in a new place isn’t as easy as he thought. For Liang, beginning this new chapter means experiencing the hardships that can come with being an illegal immigrant. Just getting a fake ID and a phone cost him a fortune, so when he unexpectedly receives a call about a job, he accepts without hesitation — even though the call was intended for someone else. To his surprise, the offer is for a traditional Japanese soba restaurant. As he becomes the pupil of an elderly master chef (the legendary Tatsuya Fuji), the ancient trade and the spirit of soba seep into Liang’s everyday life. What will he lose if his secret is revealed? (Toronto International Film Festival)