Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

[projekktor id=’18256′]

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a drama written and directed by David Zellner, who shares screenwriting credits with his brother Nathan. The film is based on the true story of Takako Konishi, a Japanese office worker who was found dead near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. It stars Rinko Kikuchi in the title role.

In a hectic city of 35 million, Kumiko (Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi) feels devastatingly alone. Trapped in isolating psychological torment, Kumiko —a meek twenty-something struggling to make it on her own in Tokyo—lives in constant resentment of her dead-end job and demeaning boss, her more successful and attractive peers, and her relentlessly nagging mother. But her spirits lift when, in a fictional American film, she observes a man bury a satchel of money in the wintry Midwestern wilderness. Though only witnessed on a staticky VHS tape, she becomes convinced that the treasure is real and merely awaiting discovery by a courageous dreamer like herself.

The Fargo-treasure details of Konishi’s story turned out to be an urban legend that got blown out of proportion by the media. The real reason she was in Minnesota was to return to a place she visited with her American lover after suffering from severe depression.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is rated G. Read our review here.