Three Japanese films will vie for the coveted Palme d’Or award at the Cannes International Film Festival scheduled to start on May 12 in southern France.
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Sheep in the Box,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” and Koji Fukada’s “Nagi Notes” are in competition for the top accolade in the feature film category.
It marks the first time in 25 years since 2001 that three films directed by Japanese filmmakers are in competition.
It is also the first time since 2018 that at least two Japanese movies are in the competition. That year, Kore-eda won the Palme d’Or for his “Shoplifters,” while Hamaguchi’s “Asako I & II” was also screened at the festival.
Yukiko Sode’s “All the Lovers in the Night,” adapted from a romantic novel of the same name by Mieko Kawakami, will be showcased in the Un Certain Regard section, the second competition of the Official Selection featuring films with unusual styles.
“Sheep in the Box” is Kore-eda’s eighth film to be selected in competition at Cannes.
Set in the near-future Japan, the story follows architect Otone Komoto (played by Haruka Ayase) and her husband, Kensuke (Daigo), who operates a building contractor. The couple welcomes a humanoid robot modeled after their late son.
It was the first time in eight years for the director to write the original screenplay for his film produced in Japan following “Shoplifters.”
The title will be released on May 29 in Japan.
Meanwhile, Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” marks his third time in competition at the festival following “Drive My Car” in 2021.
The film was jointly produced by Japan, France and other countries.
The story centers around Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira), who runs a nursing home in suburban Paris, and Mari (Tao Okamoto), a Japanese stage director battling cancer.
Guided by the similar-sounding names, the two deepen their bond through dialogue.
It is based on a book of letters exchanged between Makiko Miyano, a cancer-stricken philosopher, and Maho Isono, an anthropologist who has conducted surveys on front-line medical services.
The film will be shown in Japan on June 19.
“Nagi Notes” is Fukada’s first competition title at Cannes.
The protagonist is Yoriko (Takako Matsu), a sculptor working in Nagi.
Her quiet life begins to waver as she is visited by people from outside the nature-rich town.
The movie will be released on Sept. 25 in Japan.
In addition, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Kokurojo” (“The Samurai and the Prisoner”) will be featured as part of the Cannes Premiere program that offers special screenings of films by notable directors.
Adapted from the prestigious Naoki Prize-winning novel by Honobu Yonezawa, the period drama starring Masahiro Motoki will be shown in Japan on June 19.
AloJapan.com