The Man from the Sea is a 2018 mystery-drama film directed by Kōji Fukada. The film begins when a man is discovered washed up on a beach in Indonesia, unable to remember his identity or where he came from. He is taken to a hospital, where he reveals only a few words and phrases in broken Indonesian and Japanese.
As a result of his broken communication, the man is given the name "Laut" meaning "sea" in Indonesian. He is accepted into a local family, who takes care of him and tries to help him regain his memory. While living with the family, Laut develops a close relationship with a young boy named Takashi and his mother, named Ibu.
As his relationship with Takashi deepens, Laut begins to have memories of his past life back in Japan. These flashbacks are shown through dreamlike sequences, presenting clues that help him piece together his identity. The flashbacks show him working as a graphic designer and his relationship with a woman named Hitomi. Laut then becomes determined to return to Japan and reunite with Hitomi.
As the story progresses, tensions begin to rise when local residents and authorities start to question Laut's true identity and speculate about his intentions in the country. Amidst the uncertainty, Laut must come to terms with his true past and decide whether to stay in Indonesia or return to Japan to finally discover his true identity.
