Directed by: Kei Ishikawa
2022
/ 121 minutes
/ Unclassified 15+
Does the truth really set you free?
Over four blissful years, Rie and her son shared a loving new life with her second husband, Daisuke. His sudden accidental death brings not only grief, but an unnerving discovery for the widow: the man she thought she knew was posing under someone else’s identity. In a startling dual narrative, the mystery around Mr. X unfolds beneath the hands of Kido, the attorney handling the case. Rie and her son are forced to contemplate the legitimacy of Mr. X’s meaning in their lives, while Kido’s ethnic heritage as a zainichi (Japanese-born Korean) draws unwanted scrutiny throughout the investigation.
Prefaced by René Magritte’s surrealist painting Not to be Reproduced, this thought-provoking film immediately delves into questions of identity and social prejudice. Thriller elements are measured masterfully under the direction of Ishikawa, while showcasing poignant performances from Sakura Ando (Shoplifters, Monster) and Masataka Kubota (13 Assassins, Rurouni Kenshin). Beautifully soundtracked by experimental Taiwanese ensemble ‘Cicada’, this multi-award-winning film is a vital addition to a growing genre of Japanese cinema that interrogates fragile morals permeating contemporary society.
Palace Electric, Canberra
Palace Raine Square, Perth
Palace Barracks, Brisbane
Palace Raine Square, Perth
The Kino, Melbourne
Palace Verona, Sydney
The Kino, Melbourne
Palace Central Sydney, Sydney
Palace Balwyn, Melbourne
Palace Norton Street, Sydney
Director: Kei Ishikawa
Screenplay: Kosuke Mukai
Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Sakura Ando and Masataka Kubota
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Language(s): Japanese with English subtitles
Format: DCP colour
Winner: Best International Feature Film, Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2023
Winner: Best Film, Awards of the Japanese Academy 2023
Winner: Best Director (Kei Ishikawa), Awards of the Japanese Academy 2023
Winner: Best Screenplay (Kosuke Mukai), Awards of the Japanese Academy 2023
Winner: Best Actor (Satoshi Tsumabuki), Awards of the Japanese Academy 2023
Winner: Best Supporting Actor (Masataka Kubota), Awards of the Japanese Academy 2023
Winner: Best Supporting Actress (Sakura Ando), Awards of the Japanese Academy 2023
Winner: Best Screenplay (Kosuke Mukai), Cairo International Film Festival Naguib Mahfouz Award 2022
Nominee: Best Film, Venice Film Festival Venice Horizons Award 2022
Nominee: Best Film, Stockholm Film Festival Bronze Horse 2022
Nominee: Best Film, Cairo International Film Festival Golden Pyramid 2022
Nominee: Best Film, Bangkok World Film Festival Lotus Award Competition 2022
Nominee: Best Film, Reims Polar Festival du Film Policier New Blood Award 2023
Winner: Best Director (Official Panorama) (Kei Ishikawa), Barcelona Asian Film Festival 2022
Winner: Best Director (Kei Ishikawa), Asian Film Festival in Rome 2023
Winner: Grand Jury Prize for Best Film, Toronto Japanese Film Festival 2023
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