Mapping Minnesota; Amplify Trap Zellner Bros.’ “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter”

New distrib Amplify has steadily built up their own Sundance Film Fest film arsenal (Little Accidents, The Better Angels, God Help the Girl), and now according to THR, they’ve just added a very special film from the Zellner Brothers. Depending on what they’ve planned for their previous acquisitions, we think Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter will likely play in the deep of winter to match the film’s wintery backdrop.

Gist: In a hectic city of 35 million, Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) feels devastatingly alone. Trapped in isolating psychological torment, Kumiko —a meek twenty-something struggling to make it on her own in Tokyo—lives in constant resentment of her dead-end job and demeaning boss, her more successful and attractive peers, and her relentlessly nagging mother. But her spirits lift when, in a fictional American film, she observes a man bury a satchel of money in the wintry Midwestern wilderness. Though only witnessed on a staticky VHS tape, she becomes convinced that the treasure is real and merely awaiting discovery by a courageous dreamer like herself.

Worth Noting: Make room for an aural type experience – this won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for musical score.

Do We Care?: We’re definite fans of the film — featured David, Nathan and producer Chris Ohlson (our Sundance Trading Cards series) hit this one out of the park.