The Milkwoman

Minako TANAKA Yuko begins her day running up and down the hills of her hometown delivering milk door to door When thats done she heads to her day job as a supermarket cashier Minako is 50 and single In one of the houses to which she delivers milk is a man with whom she has secretly been in love since high school The man Keita KISHIBE Ittoku lives with his wife Yoko who is terminally ill Caring for her at home he works in the childrens affairs section of the local municipal office Though he insists that he wants nothing more than an ordinary existence his life is in turmoil below the surface The director uses a variety of narrative devises to portray the loneliness isolation and hope of these people who have seemingly allowed their goals and dreams to slip away whilst keeping them agonizingly close to hand