The Spanish director brings a uniquely Japanese story to the screen with “Convenience Store,” a humanistic drama about an old man who deliberately shoplifts in order to get arrested, and the convenience store clerk who derails his plans.
The project, which was selected by the Tokyo Gap Finance Market, tells the story of Kisayo, a struggling sound artist who works the night shift at a Tokyo convenience store, who thwarts an old man’s blatant attempt to get him jailed for shoplifting. An unexpected friendship develops between the two, and they end up bridging completely different worlds.
Director Pedro Collantes (Venice selection “The Art of Return”) was drawn to this subject after learning of the disturbing trend in Japan of an increasing number of elderly people committing petty crimes for the purpose of imprisonment. “What kind of person intentionally chooses to go to prison? What emotions and circumstances lead to such a desperate decision?” Collantes asks. “It is a terrible irony that some people feel more part of the community in prison than they do free in society.”
Collantes believes that the film’s themes are rooted in Japanese social reality, while at the same time resonating globally. “Thinking about where we, as a society, are displacing people as they age resonates with audiences around the world, beyond the specific cultural context of Japan,” he says. “The aim is to emphasize the universal value of human dignity and the need for empathy and intergenerational connections.”
Producing a Japanese-language film in Japan as a foreign director comes with unique challenges. “My sensitivity to culture, language, and nuance is constantly being tested,” Collantes admits. His wife is Japanese and he has lived in Japan for a long time, but he says building bridges between two creative worlds is a “delicate and humbling task.”
The film has already achieved major milestones, including winning the TSUTAYA Creators Program and securing support from Japanese co-producer Culture Entertainment. “Among the highlights, winning the TSUTAYA Creators Program was a real turning point,” says Collantes. The director is currently location scouting and casting in Tokyo.
Pedro Hernández Santos, producer of Spain’s Aqui y Ali Films (La deuda), sees the Tokyo Gap Finance market as an opportunity to expand the project’s European footprint. “We already have a solid project in the works with our Japanese co-producer Culture Entertainment, but we believe there is room to bring in more European partners,” he says. The team is also focused on receiving early interest and securing international sales.
The film represents groundbreaking territory as the first Spanish-Japanese co-production directed by a Spanish filmmaker and shot entirely in Japanese. Spanish and European funds are already supporting the project, reinforcing its cross-cultural ambitions. “It’s that pioneering aspect that makes this journey so special and so challenging,” Hernandez-Santos points out.
Production is scheduled for next summer, with delivery expected in 2027. “We believe we have created a unique, beautiful, and gentle film that will be a huge success in theaters around the world,” says the producer.
After completing “Convenience Store,” Collantes plans to continue exploring cross-cultural stories with a project examining the encounter between France and Spain.
