Photo/Illutration A scene from the film “52-Hertz Whales” (Provided by Gaga Corp.)

One film was made with the hopes of speaking to the lonely souls of the world who feel their voices aren’t being heard.

“52-Hertz Whales” is a film based on a novel of the same name by Sonoko Machida, who won the Japan Booksellers’ Award in 2021.

A 52-hertz whale refers to one that calls at a pitch of 52 Hz, which is too high of a frequency to be heard by other whales.

The story begins when Kiko (played by Hana Sugisaki) tries to throw herself in front of a truck after her mother abuses her and after providing nursing care for her father-in-law.

She is saved by Ango (Jun Shison), who happens to be on site.

Several years later, Kiko starts a new life in Oita by moving from Tokyo and meets a boy who reminds her of her past. She then decides to protect him.

Cutting back and forth between the present and the past, the story is packed with modern-day issues, such as child abuse, young care providers, misunderstandings about transgender people and the danger of disclosing one’s gender identity.

“Each is a theme upon which a movie can be made,” said director Izuru Narushima.

Before he finished the screenplay, he held rehearsals with Sugisaki, Shison and other actors for a week to hear their opinions about the script.

In dealing with the delicate themes, three supervisors were attached to the production, including a supervisor in charge of issues involving transgender people, an LGBT-inclusive director and an intimacy coordinator.

“Without them, we would have had to start filming not knowing the right answers for acting or shooting scenes,” the director said.

Narushima, 62, started a career in the film industry closely associated with rough working conditions.

“My mentor was Azuma Morisaki, and I also worked with Shinji Somai and other difficult and demanding directors,” Narushima said. “I felt the film industry is heading in a better direction, just like the sports world has been undergoing a major transition.”

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