It is, perhaps, unfair to label director Tetsuya Nakashima purely a pop director considering that even his most candy-colored confections draw so much of their power from the dark layers that lurk underneath the gloss.  But after bursting on to the global scene with Kamikaze Girls - not even remotely his debut film, but the first to really gain traction outside of Japan - it has always been the colorful visuals that Nakashima is known for.  Well, I think it's fair to say those will be put aside in favor of a much darker approach for this next one.

Based on an award winning novel by Kanae Minato, Kokuhaku is the story of a teacher seeking revenge against the students who killed her daughter.  And if that plot line isn't enough to make this a grim affair, consider that the novel includes HIV and hikkomori - a Japanese term for people who become extreme shut ins, never leaving their homes - and you can see there isn't going to be a lot of levity to be found.  Now in production Kokuhaku features rising star Takako Matsu (K-20) in the lead role.