The Mourning Forest
a NAOMI KAWASE picture
Synopsis
Shigeki lives comfortably in a small retirement home where Machiko, one of the home’s young staff pays special attention to him. Shigeki still lives with the sorrow of his wife’s passing 33 years before, and Machiko is secretly haunted by the death of her child, for which she feels responsible. On Shigeki’s birthday Machiko decides to take him for a drive in the countryside. Making their way along the scenic back-roads the car is forced into a ditch. As Shigeki determinedly heads off into the forest, Machiko has no choice but to follow him. It is in this peaceful place that Machiko discovers that Shigeki has been writing to his beloved wife for 33 years. It is time for him to write his last letter. Machiko is there to help him reach his mourning’s end and in doing so finds peace within her own heart.
Stills
Press
"A film of great emotional impact, with a vision of the interdependence of man and nature, one of the most impressive hours of cinema at Cannes 2007."
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
"Gentle and contemplative…we’re aware of a presence all around us without knowing what it is…beautiful, mysterious and movingly humane, it’s unlike any movie you’ll see this year"
EXCLAIM
"The result is the unearthing of a superb new talent who delivers a performance so convincing that viewers will not be able to help but wonder if the the actor on-screen may really grapple with dementia problems off-screen."
THE JAPAN TIMES
"Grief seeks relief in this beautifully mounted but ponderous mood piece…Punctuating the helmer’s slight, slow script are gorgeous images of fields and forests that imbue the pic with a haiku sensibility."
VARIETY
"Elegiac in tone or subject matter…there’s a sense of aftermath, but distance doesn’t necessarily bring clarity or well-being. As one character observes in “The Mourning Forest”, there’s a difference between being alive and feeling alive…beautifully shot with long, lingering vistas of the misty forest and closely tracked handheld camerawor."
INDIEWIRE
"A slow-moving and self-conscious art film that achieves a certain power."
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Festivals
& Awards
Cannes Film Festival
Grand Jury Prize
Toronto International Film Festival
Mainichi Film Concours
Best Cinematography
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
Netpac Award
La Rochelle Film Festival
Brussels European Film Festival
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Paris Cinéma
Motovun Film Festival
Melbourne International Film Festival
Aichi International Women's Film Festival
Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival
London Film Festival
Belgrade Film Festival
São Paulo International Film Festival
Göteborg Film Festival
Cast & Crew
| Saito Yoishiro | |
|---|---|
| Kanako Masuda | |
| Machiko Ono | |
| Shigeki Uda | |
| Makiko Watanabe | |
| Yûsei Yamamoto |
| Director and Writer | Naomi Kawase |
|---|---|
| Producer | Naomi Kawase |
| Associate Producers | Christian Baute, Syunji Dodo |
| Executive Producer | Hengameh Panahi |
| Director of Photography | Hideyo Nakano |
| Art Direction | Toshihiro Isomi |
| Editor | Yuji Oshige, Tina Baz |
| Music | Masamichi Shigeno |
| Sound Editor | David Vranken |
| Sound Mixer | Vincent Mauduit |
Releases