Akira Yoshimura

Hirai is a prison guard who looks after Kaneda, a man on death row and a model inmate. Hirai is about to marry a single mother, although he cannot afford to take time off from work to take his wife on a honeymoon and to bond with his new stepson. When Kaneda's execution order is signed, it presents Hirai with an opportunity to take time away but at an overwhelming emotional cost. (independent.com)

One late night in June 1942, Sakuma Seitaro dangles from the frame of a skylight in an isolation cell in Akita Prison. He forces open the glass window and breaks out of jail. This crime even reaches the ears of Urata Susumu, the chief warden of Kosuge Prison in Tokyo. Urata had been in charge of those sentenced to life in the prison until last year. (The Movie Database)

Seventheen century. Set in a small village, nestled between the sea and the mountain, the father of Alan, a young fifteen-year-old boy, has sold himself for two years to indentured service. Alan is forced to take the place of his father and struggles to support his family. (imdb)