Directed by: Naoko Ogigami
2017
/ 127 minutes
/ Recommended for aged 12+
A STORY OF FAMILY AND ACCEPTANCE AMIDST THE BLOOMING CHERRY BLOSSOMS OF SPRING.
Fifth-grader Tomo (Rinka Kakihara) lives a chaotic lifewith her mother Hiromi (Mimura) in a messy apartment with overflowing trash cans. One day Hiromi abandons Tomo to chase after a man. Finding herself all alone, Tomo heads for the home of her uncle Makio (Kenta Kiritani). This isn’t the first time Tomo had to go and stay with her uncle. However, this time he’s living with his beautiful girlfriend Rinko (Toma Ikuta), a transgender woman.
Rinko warmly welcomes Tomo into Makio’s neat and tidy apartment. Rinko gives Tomo the familial warmth she never got from her own mother, and showers her with affection. Together, they bond over food, games, and knitting. Rinko calms herself by knitting, projecting her “worldly desires” into yarn creations. She intends to keep knitting until she reaches a certain number, and Makio and Tomo join in to help her reach her goal.
Although they may not officially be a “family,” the playful and heartwarming time Rinko, Makio and Tomo spend together teaches them the preciousness of life and the true meaning of happiness. They hope to stay like this forever. But one day Tomo’s mother Hiromi comes back. Will Tomo stay with her new family? Or will she return to the chaotic apartment with her mother?
Director: Naoko Ogigami
Producer: Yutaka Ishikawa, Julie K. Fujishima, Hajime Inoue, Shiro Oiwake, Michinori Mizuno, Riichiro Nakamura, Kumi Kobata, Mayumi Amano, Noriaki Takagi, Masashi Igarashi and Kenzo Ishiguro
Screenplay: Naoko Ogigami
Cast: Toma Ikuta, Kenta Kiritani, Rinka Kakihara, Mimura, Eiko Koike, Mugi Kadowaki and Shuuji Kashiwabara
Genre: Drama
Format: DCP colour
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