“Why didn’t I raise my voice for the Rohingya people?”: Akio Fujimoto on Lost Land at Red Sea International Film Festival 2025

Akio Fujimoto, the talented Japanese director, presented his latest work, Lost Land, at the Red Sea Film Festival. This project emerged from a profound sense of guilt and a desire to bring forward untold stories.

In this interview with The Upcoming, Fujimoto shed light on the Rohingya crisis, an unheard and largely unaddressed tragedy that became such a burden for him that it compelled him to create a film entirely in the Rohingya language. The movie itself is a haunting and intimate portrait of two Rohingya siblings fleeing persecution in Myanmar, embarking on a harrowing journey across borders in search of a home. Fujimoto expressed pride in navigating the unique directorial challenges of this context, especially in giving voice to his “actors” rather than rigidly directing them. Fujimoto also delves into the powerful symbolism within the feature, particularly the enduring spirit represented by the mango tree.

Laura Della Corte

Lost Land does not have a release date yet.

Watch the trailer for Lost Land here: