Shoplifters

Synopsis

Set in Tokyo, a family living in poverty gather every evening in their one-bedroom flat after finishing work and the illegal daily tasks they employ to make ends meet, including shoplifting. While 10 year-old Shota helps his father Osamu gather food from supermarkets, mother Noboyu works at an industrial launderette, teenage Aki works part-time at a local peep-show, and their grandmother takes care of the home. On a winter’s night, the family finds a young girl named Yuri all alone in the cold and, concerned for her wellbeing, they decide to take her in as one of their own. While Yuri flourishes alongside the unconventional family, her disappearance becomes local news, disrupting their close bond and revealing their challenging pasts. This intimate and beautiful depiction of family and relationships deals with moral questions around crime alongside the experiences of those on low incomes, complicating the notion of right or wrong.