Plan 75

Faced with a rapidly ageing population, a government in near-future Japan rolls out an unsettling agenda.

In a near-future world, the Japanese government introduces a measure to combat an ageing population. Participants who have passed the age of 75 will receive remuneration for signing up to a euthanasia programme. Michi, a 78-year-old hotel maid, faces intense loneliness when let go from her job and sees the scheme as a solution. Hiromu, a Plan 75 recruitment agent, feels conflicted when a family member signs up to the scheme. While Maria, a Filipino care-worker, takes a job in one of the Plan 75 mass crematoriums.

Chie Hayakawa’s slow-burn dystopian feature debut was developed from her earlier short film within the Ten Years Japan anthology, executive produced by Hirokazu Koreeda. It’s a devastating yet life-affirming work that digs deep into its personal stories, offering a stinging critique of how we view and care for our older generation.