DIRECTOR

NISHIKAWA Miwa

=Filmography=
Wild Berries (2003) -Vancouver IFF
Sway (2006) -Cannes Directors’ Fortnight
Dear Doctor (2009) -Montreal World FF / Winner of Best Screenplay for Japan Academy Awards
Dreams for Sale (2012) -Toronto IFF / Chicago IFF
The Long Excuse (2016) -Toronto IFF / Busan IFF / Rome FF

CAST

YAKUSHO Koji "Shall We Dance?""The Blood of Wolves" "The Third Murder"
NAKANO Taiga "The Man From the Sea" “Taro the Fool” "Silent Rain"
NAGASAWA Masami "Our Little Sister" “The Confidence Man JP” “Mother”

CREW

Based on the novel "Mibuncho" written by SAKI Ryuzo
Production Designer: MITSUMATSU Keiko (“Shoplifters” Hirokazu Kore-eda)
Cinematographer: KASAMATSU Norimichi (“Rage” Sang-il Lee)
Producers: NISHIKAWA Asako (“The Long Excuse” Miwa Nishikawa),
KITAHARA Eiji (“His Lost Name” Nanako Hirose),
ITO Taichi (“High Heels Revolution!” Yo Kohatsu)

Film Festivals & Awards

Toronto IFF 2020 - Official Selection
Chicago IFF 2020 - Best International Feature Audience Choice Award
- YAKUSHO Koji: Silver Hugo - Best Performance
Rome Film Fest 2020 - Official Selection
AFI Fest 2020
Denver FF 2020
Seattle IFF 2021 - Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision
Toronto Japanese FF 2021 - Kobayashi Audience Choice Award

Duration/Release

Length: 126min. / Release in Japan: Feb 11, 2021

Synopsis

Mikami, an ex-yakuza of middle age with most of his life in prison, gets released after serving 13 years of sentence for murder. Hoping to find his long lost mother, from whom he was separated as a child, he applies for a TV show and meets a young TV director Tsunoda. Meanwhile, he struggles to get a proper job and fit into society. His impulsive, adamant nature and ingrained beliefs cause friction in his relationship with Tsunoda and those who want to help him.

Introduction

Director's Profile:

NISHIKAWA Miwa was first discovered by film director Hirokazu Kore-eda (“Shoplifters”), working with him from “AFTER LIFE (1999).” After working with many veteran directors, she made her directorial debut with “WILD BERRIES” (2003). Her second film, “SWAY” (2006), was acclaimed at Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight, and her third film, “DEAR DOCTOR” (2009), also enjoyed great success at the box-office in Japan, winning various awards, including Best Screenplay Award at the 2010 Annual Japan Academy Prize. Her fourth film, “DREAMS FOR SALE” (2012), had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival.
Her novel “THE LONG EXCUSE,” nominated for the Naoki Literature Prize (2015) for the second time, was adapted into movie with Nishikawa as director (2016). She has been writing original stories for her feature films which also earned her literary prizes. The latest film “Under the Open Sky” is her first feature based on a novel “Mibuncho” written by SAKI Ryuzo.