Grieving the loss of his wife, a stage actor travels to Hiroshima after being invited to direct a Checkov adaptation for a theatre festival. Initially, the play is a welcome distraction, but painful memories bubble to surface as he bonds with the introverted young woman assigned to be his chauffeur. An emotionally rich and engrossing story of regret and acceptance adapted from a short story by author Haruki Murakami. Nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and three BAFTAs (including Best Director).

Reviews

‘Hamaguchi has made a profoundly beautiful film about making peace with the role in front of you, and playing it with all your might.’
★★★★★
Robbie Collin, The Telegraph

‘Where once Hamaguchi’s film-making language had seemed to me at the level of jeu d’esprit, now it ascends to something with passion and even a kind of grandeur…It is an engrossing and exalting experience.’
★★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian