Japanese Wave film adapted from the novel by Kobo Abe and directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara. Niki Junpei (Eiji Okada) travels to the coast to collect insects that inhabit sand dunes but when he misses his last bus home he is advised to spend the night with a young widow (Kyoko Kishida). Having spent the night, he discovers that her husband and daughter were killed in a sandstorm and she is employed to dig sand to save the house from succumbing to the advancing sands. Despite intending to leave, the villagers make it difficult for Junpei to go and as he considers his circumstances he decides to help the woman by digging sand. The bond between Junpei and the woman grows but he is always aware of his forced imprisonment.
