Kazuo Murata is a detective who has lost his wife and eventually the meaning of his existence.

酒浸りの堕落した生活を送るシナリオライターの姿を描いた人間ドラマ。小林政広監督のデビュー作で、第8回ゆうばり国際冒険・ファンタスティック映画祭ヤング・ファンタスティック・グランプリ部門でグランプリを受賞した。 コンビニ強盗に妻子を殺された男（深水三章）は、女たちの家を渡り歩く生活を送っていた。ホームレスのように街を彷徨い歩く男は、車の中で酔いつぶれた女、エイズを患う青年などさまざまな人と出会っていく。

A widower who’s daughter has been murdered at high school meets the mother of the murderer by coincidence after moving to a small town in Hokkaido.

Two best friends—Tatsuo, a retiring Yakuza member, and Kiyoshi, a cop—travel to the funeral of a woman they both loved.

The movie is absurd, and a thoroughly original take on the morale in Japanese society. The images are beautiful, and the people are as cold as the snow that surrounds them. The take on Melville's "Samoraï" from -67 is obvious, but Kobayashi turns the image around and portrays the killer as the weakest person in the movie - haunted by his demanding wife and the moaning contractor, who is one of the most mysterious characters ever portrayed in a movie.

Because of the desolate landscape, Kobayashi chose snow-covered Hokkaido (the most northern island of Japan) as the setting for Amazing Story, a light-erotic drama about a lonely man, Kenji, who kidnaps the woman of his dreams. The woman is Harumi, a hairdresser in the deserted town where Kenji has just arrived. It's never really busy in her business. Harumi's husband is a gambling addict and spends all Harumi's money. Maybe that's why Harumi doesn't try very hard to escape when Kenji kidnaps her. His concern about her and his boundless worship probably help, too. Something strange and beautiful blossoms between the kidnapper and his victim, but can this be the basis of a long and happy encounter?

Yuko is a Japanese girl who was taken hostage in Iraq while volunteering there as an aid worker. Finally released and back in her hometown, Yuko finds herself ostracized as a national disgrace by society that sees her helping a country other than Japan, and the embarrassment of getting captured but not killed, as things of which to be brutally ashamed.

16岁的少年川井亮（小林優斗 饰）无法像同龄人那样过着无忧无虑的日子，也无暇品味青春时光的青涩和甜蜜。生长在单亲家庭的他过早地走入社会，母亲罹患绝症，命不久矣；父亲多年未曾联系，更断了母子的补给。日常开支和医疗费用全靠亮在便利店辛苦打工挣得。迫于无奈，亮有时会偷出店里的食物果腹，他的举动终于被店长发现，从此失去了唯一的收入来源。 打击接二连三，母亲终于撒手人寰，留给亮的不仅是无尽的悲痛和孤独，还有如同天文数字的医疗费及丧葬费。金钱面前，没有人表现出同情。万般无奈，亮背起母亲的尸体，独自踏上希望渺茫的丧葬之路……

Following the 2011 tsunami, three women reunite in the family home only to rekindle tense, ruinous relationships.

法国里昂的红桥上，久久伫立着一个孤独且落寞的日本女子。她叫相泽朋子（吉瀬美智子 饰），是一名普通社员。早先恋人接受派遣调任法国，朋子过于思念男友，于是背着家人和公司同事偷偷买好机票追随恋人而来。她在电话中约定两人于红桥见面，然而两个多小时过去却仍不见恋人身影。这时，名叫木岛立夫（眞木大輔 饰）的日本男子上前搭讪。起初他的喋喋不休和过于强烈的好奇心让朋子分外厌恶，两人还甚至发生争吵。不过立夫的真诚慢慢打动了朋子的心，在恋人缺席的法国，这对孤独男女展开了一段浪漫的约会…… 本片由导演小林正广根据自己的原作改编。

Mashike, a city on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Nobuo Honma is a 63-year-old sake producer. He has lived with Yasuo since his wife died two years ago. Yasuo is his youngest son to whom he has entrusted his trade. Every day Nobuo goes for a walk which leads him to a fish-breeding center, located in the mountains. He fills his loneliness by attentively observing the development of thousands of little fish poured into the pool. The second anniversary of his wife's death approaches. Nobuo insists on the presence of Ryoichi, his elder son whom he hasn't seen for a long time. Nobuo and his two sons, along with their partners, gather for the commemoration. Unspoken feelings resurface and clash with each other.

东京一隅的某处民宅，一直住院治疗的男主人村井不二男（仲代达矢 饰）在儿子义男（北村一辉 饰）的陪伴下回到家中。此前不二男被诊断罹患癌症，医生告诫他仅有不到三个月的余生。老人闻听此言不顾儿子的苦劝，执意出院回家。这一天是亡妻良子（大森晓美 饰）的忌日，他久久凝视妻子的照片，心中百感交集。义男因失业患上抑郁症，此后和老婆智子（寺岛忍 饰）的婚姻也亮起红灯。一路坎坷的他渴望重整旗鼓，却又不得不腆着脸靠父亲的养老金度日。次日一早，不二男将自己关在房间中，并用木板将房门钉死。他拒绝儿子提供的饮食，只希望陪伴着妻子安静死去，并用养老金为儿子提供最后的帮助。 东日本大地震的噩梦与村井家的遭遇，一同构成了血泪交加的日本的悲剧……

Stuck in a fishing village in Hokkaido, Tadao's grand-daughter Haru is desperate to visit Tokyo, a trip Tadao is reluctant to make.

《海边的李尔》故事讲述日本国宝级演员兆吉，在步入高龄、被怀疑患有失智症后遭到长女和弟子遗弃，被迫写下遗嘱并送入老人院。某天，兆吉逃出老人院，独自于海边徘徊，遇见许久未见的小女儿，仿佛看到李尔王最疼爱的小女儿寇蒂莉亚的影子，惊觉自己的遭遇竟与李尔王如此相似……故事以莎士比亚悲剧“李尔王”为基底展开，细腻刻划出兆吉的最后光辉。