“Evil Does Not Exist” or Aku wa Sonzai Shinai (悪は存在しない) is a contemplation on our relationship with nature and the ecology of a forest as seen in the small rural village of Mizubiki where a single parent Takumi lives with his daughter, Hana.

Written and directed by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car“), the film started as a 30-minute short film that was mean to accompany the live score composed by Eiko Ishibashi, but Hamaguchi decided to turn it into a feature film. What has evolved is a thoughtful look at how tourists can cause detrimental change to the very environment they mean to enjoy. Takumi (Hitoshi Omika 大美賀均)  is a handyman (benriya 便利屋), a widower raising a young daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa 西川 玲) in the village of Mizubiki (水挽町). One of his tasks is collecting water from the stream and taking into the town where it is used for things such as cooking at a local traditional udon eatery. Takumi is one of those people who knows the forest intimately. Late to pick up his daughter Hana, he catches up to her tramping through the woods  toward their home. Once together, he identifies the trees. They pass the skeleton of a deer, one that Takumi explains was “gut shot” and from time to time, we’ll hear the shooting in the distance.

Mizubiki is an easy drive from Tokyo and a company named Playmate is determined to develop a parcel of land for “glamping,” a portmanteau for “glamorous camping.”  In exploratory mode, Playmode representatives Takahashi (Ryuji Kosaka 小坂竜士) and Mayuzumi 黛 (Ayaka Shibutani 渋谷采郁) visit the town and give a presentation in a town hall community meeting.  Almost immediately issues are raised. Fire is one concern but water is another. Would the local spring water be affected?

The area where Playmode hopes to build is also part of the regular deer path. The Playmode representative think that the deer might be too aggressive like the notably protected and often too assertive deer in the old capital of Nara. That isn’t so as Takumi explains, but the Playmode people think if the deer don’t help attract glampers then they will surely just move away. Yet we already know that their habitat is being impinged upon by the hunters and Takumi’s frustration simmers under the surface.

It would be too easy to portray Takahashi and Mayuzumi as heartless and entirely clueless city folk trying to make money. Yet both are enchanted by what they see with Takahashi hoping to learn from Takumi so that he can perhaps leave his job in Tokyo and become the glamping caretaker.

There will be a surprising turn of events and that’s will open up a lot of different conversations. From what Hamaguchi has said, movies doesn’t need to be neatly packaged and “Evil Does Not Exist” is not something easy to understand. I’ve no doubt that the title is of some significance as does the name of the village. Days later, I’m still thinking about the film and I want to see it again.

“Evil Does Not Exist” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2023 where Hamaguchi won the Grand Jury Prize (Silver Lion, the FIPRESCI Prize, the Premio Fondazione Rai Persona Lavora Ambiente Award, the Ca’Foscari Young Jury Award and received a special mention for the Premio CinemaSara Award. It screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (7 September 2023) and at AFI FEST (26 October 2023) among other festivals.