What Is My Small Land About?
The premise of My Small Land in 330 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In Saitama Prefecture, Japan, a Kurdish family tries to build a life in the spaces between two very different worlds. Sarya came to Japan as a young child, and the country has become familiar ground: the streets of her neighborhood, the rhythm of work, and the ordinary details of a place that once felt entirely foreign. Yet home remains a complicated idea. Her family carries Kurdish memories, traditions, and expectations with them, while Sarya is equally conscious of the life she has made in Japan.
Her father works on a construction site alongside other Kurdish men, anchoring the household in a familiar community and a sense of pride. In the apartment they share with Sarya’s younger brother and sister, that heritage is something to protect, discuss, and pass on. He sees continuity in keeping the family close to its roots and worries that assimilation could mean losing the bonds that have carried them through displacement. Sarya, meanwhile, feels a genuine attachment to Japan and is not willing to treat her Japanese life as temporary.
At a convenience store where Sarya works, she meets Sota, the owner’s nephew. What begins as a friendly connection gives her a glimpse of relationships and possibilities outside the family’s expectations. Sota’s presence adds a tender, tentative dimension to Sarya’s life, set against the everyday backdrop of storefronts, construction sites, and the routines of a new country. It is a quiet reminder that belonging can grow in unexpected places.
As the family’s refugee status becomes uncertain, the careful balance Sarya has maintained begins to feel fragile. Her father’s insistence on preserving their Kurdish identity, Sarya’s growing sense of rootedness in Japan, and the limited choices surrounding their new lives pull in different directions. My Small Land is an intimate, quietly poignant story about a family learning to live between cultures without a clear map, and about a young woman trying to claim a future that honors both where she came from and where she has become.
What Happens in My Small Land?
The complete story of My Small Land, from the first scene to the last, in 266 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Living in the Saitama Prefecture of Japan, Sarya, played by Lina Arashi, is a Kurdish refugee residing in an apartment with her father and two younger siblings, Arin and Mazrum. Having lost her mother in Kurdistan, Sarya’s family moved to Japan to avoid political detention. While her father works at a construction site alongside other Kurds, Sarya secretly finds employment at a local convenience store. It is here that she meets Sota Zakiyama, the nephew of the store’s owner, and the two develop a close friendship.
Sarya finds herself torn between two worlds: she feels a growing loyalty to her life in Japan, while her father remains deeply rooted in their Kurdish heritage. This cultural clash peaks when her father expresses his desire for her to marry a Kurdish boy, a proposal Sarya completely rejects.
The family’s stability is further shaken when their plea for refugee status is denied, leaving them unable to work legally and confined to Saitama. Although Sarya introduces Sota to her father, the relationship is forbidden, leading to a violent confrontation where her father slaps her.
Tragedy strikes when the father is arrested and imprisoned for illegal employment. Believing all hope is lost, he decides to return to his homeland to face arrest. During this turmoil, Sarya also loses her job. However, their solicitor eventually reveals a bittersweet arrangement: the father accepted a deal to leave the country on the condition that his children be allowed to remain. Ultimately, Sarya and her siblings are able to stay, and she feels a deep sense of gratitude that her life can continue in Japan.
My Small Land Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Death of Sarya's Mother” to “A New Beginning in Japan”. 13 events name a place, across 4 locations.
- 1
Death of Sarya's Mother
Sarya's mother dies in the family's unnamed home country in Kurdistan. Her death leaves a void in the family and marks a painful chapter for the children. This loss precedes the family's decision to seek a safer life far from home.
Where:Kurdistan
- 2
The Family Flees to Japan
Sarya's father moves the family to Japan to escape political detention in their homeland. Sarya, her younger brother, her younger sister, and their father settle in Saitama Prefecture. They begin a new life as Kurdish refugees far from Kurdistan.
Where:Saitama Prefecture, Japan
- 3
Settling into the Apartment
The family lives together in an apartment in Saitama Prefecture. Their father takes a job on a construction site working alongside other Kurds. The family adjusts to daily life in Japan while trying to hold onto their Kurdish identity.
Where:Family apartment, Saitama
- 4
Sarya's Secret Job
Sarya secretly gets a job at a local convenience store, since her family's refugee status does not permit them to work. She hides the job from her father while helping to support the household. The work becomes her first taste of independence.
Where:Convenience store, Saitama
- 5
Meeting Sota
At the convenience store, Sarya meets Sota, the owner's nephew. The two strike up a friendship that gradually grows warmer. Sota becomes Sarya's bridge to Japanese youth culture and a life beyond the refugee community.
Where:Convenience store, Saitama
- 6
Caught Between Two Cultures
Sarya finds herself torn between two worlds. She feels loyalty to her new home in Japan, while her father looks back toward his Kurdish roots. This growing cultural tension begins to strain the relationship between Sarya and her father.
- 7
A Father's Marriage Plans
Sarya's father expresses his wish for her to marry a Kurdish boy who lives in Japan. Sarya has no interest in the boy and leaves the room when the topic is discussed. The clash highlights the widening gap between father and daughter.
Where:Family apartment, Saitama
- 8
Refugee Status Rejected
Sarya's father's plea for refugee status is rejected by the authorities. The family is told they cannot work and must remain within Saitama. The decision leaves them in an even more precarious legal position with few options left.
Where:Saitama Prefecture, Japan
- 9
Sarya Brings Sota Home
Sarya invites her friend Sota to the family's apartment. At first, her father is receptive to the young Japanese guest. However, the visit soon becomes the spark for a deeper conflict over Sarya's friendship with Sota.
Where:Family apartment, Saitama
- 10
Father Forbids the Friendship
Sarya's father later tells her that she cannot spend time with Sota anymore. When Sarya resists, he slaps her. The confrontation marks the peak of the family's internal tension between tradition and Sarya's new life.
Where:Family apartment, Saitama
Show the other 5 events of My Small Land Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Father Arrested for Illegal Work
Sarya's father is arrested and imprisoned after he is found to be working illegally on the construction site. His detention throws the family into uncertainty and fear. Sarya and her siblings are left to cope without their father.
Where:Saitama Prefecture, Japan
- 12
Sarya Loses Her Job
Around the same time as her father's imprisonment, Sarya loses her job at the convenience store. Already shaken by her father's arrest, she now loses the independence and income her secret job provided. Her situation becomes increasingly fragile.
Where:Convenience store, Saitama
- 13
The Father Loses Hope
Believing his case is lost, the father decides to return to his homeland in Kurdistan. Back in the country he once fled, he awaits arrest there. His decision reflects his despair over ever winning a place for the family in Japan.
Where:Kurdistan
- 14
The Solicitor's Revelation
The family's solicitor reveals that the father has taken a deal. In exchange for leaving Japan, his children are allowed to stay in the country. The father sacrifices his own freedom and future so that his children can have a life in Japan.
- 15
A New Beginning in Japan
Sarya and her siblings continue their lives in Japan following their father's departure. Sarya is thankful that her life can go on in the country she has come to call home. The family carries forward, shaped by their father's painful sacrifice.
Where:Saitama Prefecture, Japan
What Kind of Film Is My Small Land?
Bittersweet in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bittersweet
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A quietly tense and bittersweet refugee drama balancing cultural conflict and family strain with small, fragile hopes for belonging, stability, and a future in a new home.
- bittersweet
- poignant
- quietly tense
- anxious
- reflective
- fragile hope
- refugee life
- cultural identity
- belonging
- family conflict
Content notes: political detention, forced marriage pressure, parental violence, deportation, family separation.
Quiz
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