Home / Arts and Entertainment / French Surgeon Confronts Cultural Resistance to Organ Donation in Japan
French Surgeon Confronts Cultural Resistance to Organ Donation in Japan
16 Aug
Summary
- Organ donation remains divisive in Japan due to cultural and religious views
- French transplant surgeon Corry struggles to understand this resistance
- Corry's personal crisis further complicates her work and life in Japan
In the Japanese city of Kobe, French pediatric heart transplant surgeon Corry is working at a high-tech hospital, where she faces an ongoing challenge: the cultural and religious resistance to organ donation in the country. Corry, a pragmatist and a romantic, sometimes struggles to reconcile her scientific approach with the more mystical views on mortality and the body that prevail in Japan.
Three years ago, Corry took a hiking trip to the picturesque Yakushima Island, where she met a handsome, taciturn photographer named Jin. The two formed a connection, but Jin suddenly vanished, joining the ranks of the "Johatsu" - people who voluntarily drop out of their established lives. Corry is haunted by Jin's disappearance, which opens up a host of questions about when a disappearance becomes a death and how to know if someone is truly lost.
As Corry continues her work at the hospital, she encounters a young patient named Hisashi, who is awaiting a heart transplant. Corry's personal experiences and professional mission to save lives become intertwined, leading to a poignant and emotional conclusion. Through Corry's journey, the film explores the complex philosophical and emotional debates surrounding organ donation in Japan.
