素晴らしき世界

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2023

Dir. Miwa Nishikawa
2020 | 126 mins | Japan
Japanese

Koji Yakusho, Seiji Rokkauka, Yukiya Kitamura

Masao Mikami commited a murder and as a result, he was sentenced to prison. Released from 13 years later, society has undergone a major transformation and Masao struggles to adapt. However, with the support of his probation officers he tries to regain his independence.

He ends up looking for his mother, who he hasn’t seen since he went to prison. Hearing about this story, TV producers approach him to make a program about his struggles. Although he has a criminal past, people who sympathize with his humanity gather around him and the film shows the ups and downs of his relationships and his rehabilitation into society.

Nishikawa is regarded as one of the most sought- after female directors from Japan and a regular in the world of cinema. As a protegee of Hirokazu Kore-eda and always having an eye on current social issues in her original story, this is her first film adapted from a novel which is based on a real person. This controversial film starring internationally recognised actor, Koji Yakusho poses a fundamental question as to how society can accept people with criminal past and how they can change.

© Ryuzo Saki / 2021 “Under the Open Sky” Production Committee

No Breaking Point: Director Miwa Nishikawa in Conversation

Thu 23 Mar | 1pm | Free

The Japan Foundation will be hosting a free online zoom conversation with Director Miwa Nishikawa.

In this online conversation with Dr. Irene González-López, Lecturer, Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics at Birkbeck, University of London, the seemingly endlessly successful Miwa Nishikawa talks about her creative process and how she views her career and Japanese cinema as a whole.

Book here

Major Supporter: The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation

Sponsors in Kind: SUQQU, Athletia and Clearspring

TRIPLE F-RATED:

Directed by a woman, written by a woman and starring a significant woman.

F-Rating is a new rating for films directed by women, written by women and/or with significant female characters on screen, in their own right. Find out more here >>

VENUE: EXETER PHOENIX, STUDIO 74

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>