A Film Adaptation of Kazuma Hayami's Novel

Director Yūya Ishii, who has garnered numerous awards for films such as "Hello from the Bottom of the River" and "The Great Passage" (Japan's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film), has gained international attention. He stated, "I wanted to genuinely confront the nature of family," and for his new project, he chose to adapt Kazuma Hayami's novel of the same name, which portrays a family's desperate struggle in the face of their mother's sudden death sentence.

The cast includes Sōta Tsumabuki as the eldest son, portraying an ordinary man with subtle depth, and Ryōsuke Ikeuchi, a rising young actor with a string of recent releases, as the second son. Kyōzō Nagatsuka plays the father, and Mieko Harada takes on the role of the mother, bringing together a stellar ensemble of acclaimed actors from the Japanese film industry.

Facing the Mother's Death: The Father's Distress, the Eldest Son's Silence, the Second Son's Feigned Calm

One day, the Wakana family's mother, Reiko, is diagnosed with a brain tumor. The symptoms are advanced, and she is given only one week to live. Faced with this sudden turn of events, the father becomes distraught, the eldest son, Kōsuke, is left speechless, and the second son, Shunpei, feigns composure.

The mother's memory begins to fade due to the tumor, to the point where she no longer recognizes her son Kōsuke. Her behavior becomes childlike, and long-hidden resentments and true feelings towards her family surface, leaving the men utterly speechless. Furthermore, the father's substantial loans and the mother's secret credit card debt are revealed. Kōsuke and Shunpei are forced to confront the reality that their family had already been fractured long ago.

Twenty-seven years of marriage. What they've cultivated are a life without conflict and hidden debts. However, Kōsuke and Shunpei refuse to let things end here and resolve to fight back.—.

This film delves into the truth of an ordinary, everyday family, shaken by an incident that shattered their normalcy just yesterday.

"Our Family"
Opens nationwide on Saturday, May 24th, at Shinjuku Piccadilly and other theaters.
Director & Screenplay | Yūya Ishii
Starring | Sōta Tsumabuki, Mieko Harada, Ryōsuke Ikeuchi, Kyōzō Nagatsuka
Distribution | Phantom Film
2014 / Japan / 117 min
http://bokutachi-kazoku.com


Ⓒ 2013 "Our Family" Production Committee