the director Nagasaki transports us to the remote barren wilderness of Hokkaido, the most northerly of the four main islands that make up Japan, in a powerful and compelling three and a half hour DV-shot epic based on an original novel by Natsuo Kirino that ostensibly deals with the search of a young mother for her missing five-year-old daughter..That Nagasaki manages to keep us riveted throughout the lengthy 200-minute running time is a testimony to his actors and his own skills as a filmmaker. A substantial and absorbing mood piece, rich in detail, raw in emotional charge, thought-provoking, gripping and poignant, A Tender Place is nothing short of a masterpiece.