Spanish Director Brings Unique Japanese Story to Life in "Konbini"

In October 2025, Spanish director Pedro Collantes is bringing a unique Japanese story to the screen with his film "Konbini." The humanistic drama follows Kisayo, a struggling sound artist working night shifts at a Tokyo convenience store, who thwarts an old man's blatant attempt to get himself jailed through shoplifting. An unlikely friendship forms between the two, bridging their very different worlds.

Collantes was drawn to the material after learning about a disturbing trend in Japan: an increasing number of elderly people committing petty crimes with the goal of imprisonment. The director believes the film's themes of human dignity and the need for empathy and intergenerational connection will resonate globally.

The production has already achieved significant milestones, winning the Tsutaya Creators' Program and securing support from Japanese co-producers Culture Entertainment. Collantes is currently scouting locations and casting in Tokyo, with production scheduled for next summer and a target delivery date of 2027. The film represents groundbreaking territory as the first Spanish-Japanese co-production directed by a Spanish filmmaker but shot entirely in Japanese.