DIRECTOR

Kore-eda Hirokazu “Shoplifters”

CAST

Maeda Koki “Solomon’s Perjury”
Maeda Ohshiro “Our Little Sister”
Ohtsuka Nene "Amalfi"
Odagiri Joe "Dream"
Natsukawa Yui "Still Walking"
ABe Hiroshi "Still Walking"
Nagasawa Masami “Our Little Sister”
Harada Yoshio "Still Walking"
Kiki Kirin "An”
Hashizume Isao “Tokyo Family”

CREW

Writer / Editor / Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Cinematography by: Yamazaki Yutaka "Nobody Knows"
Production Designer: Mitsumatsu Keiko "Shoplifters”
Music by: QURULI "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish"
Lighting by: Oshita Eiji "Air Doll"
Sound by: Tsurumaki Yutaka "Like Father, Like Son”
Production Companies: SHIROGUMI / BIG X

#koreeda

Film Festivals & Awards

San Sebastian IFF 2011 - won Jury Prize for Best Screenplay, SIGNIS Award
Isfahan Children IFF - won Best Film
Asian Pacific Screen Awards - won Best Director
Toronto IFF 2011
Vancouver IFF 2011
Busan IFF 2011
BFI London IFF 2011
Rotterdam IFF 2012
Goteborg IFF 2012
Hong Kong IFF 2012
CPH PIX 2012
Seattle IFF 2012
Melbourne IFF 2012

Duration/Release

128 min. / 2011 / Color

Synopsis

Koichi (12) lives with his mother and retired grand parents in Kagoshima, southern part of Kyushu region. His brother Ryunosuke (10) lives with their father in Hakata, northern Kyushu separated with their parents divorce. A new bullet train line in the region will be inaugurated soon, and Koichi starts to believe a "miracle" will happen the first moment these new bullet trains intersect each other from opposite directions with their highest speed; his only wish is for his family to live together once again. With some help from grown-ups around him, Koichi sets out on a journey with a group of friends, each hoping to witness a "miracle" come upon their struggling lives.


Introduction

First time since "Nobody Knows" (2004), acclaimed director KORE-EDA Hirokazu portrays the lives of children and their growth through the journey under separated families. Introducing young real-life brothers MAEDA Koki and MAEDA Ohshiro to the big screen, the film sets its stage on the real news, Japanese new bullet train "SAKURA" which will be opening next year in Kyushu area and with beautiful scenery in Japanese countryside. Supporting the young actors, acclaimed performers KIKI Kirin ("Still Walking" (2008)), ODAGIRI Joe ("Air Doll" (2009)) and many others who has joined KORE-EDA's past projects, put the depth to this refreshing story of the youngsters' adventures to find their own miracles.


Director KORE-EDA Hirokazu
Born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1962 Kore-eda graduated from Waseda University in 1987. He soon joined TV MAN UNION, directed several prize-winning documentaries.

His first feature film, MABOROSI, won the Osella d'oro at the Venice Film Festival in 1995. His second feature, AFTERLIFE, distributed in over 30 countries, brought Kore-eda international acclaim. His third film, DISTANCE (HAF 2000 Project), was selected to screen In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival 2001 and his fourth film, NOBODY KNOWS, won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival 2004 for actor Yuuya Yagira. 2006's HANA set in the Edo period is his first period piece. The film explored themes of chivalry and revenge. In 2008, STILL WALKING, loosely based on his own experience, had an international premiere in Toronto. In the same year, he directed his first feature documentary film "Daijôbu de aruyô ni: Cocco owaranai tabi" which follows a tour of Japanese singer-songwriter Cocco.

In 2009, he released the film AIR DOLL which was nominated in Un Certain Regards in Cannes Film Festival 2009.

He has also produced three films by young Japanese directors. KAKUTO, directed by Yusuke Iseya, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2003. WILD BERRIES, written and directed by Miwa Nishikawa, premiered at New Directors/New Films in New York 2003, while her second feature, SWAY, screened in the Director's Fortnight at Cannes in 2006.