Release Date

September, 13th, 2008

Running Time

130 min

Genre

Drama , Feature

Color

Color

Screening Format

35mm

Screen Size

American Vista (1:1.85)

Sound Processing

-,Dlby SRD

[ Directed by ]

• TAKITA Yojiro

[ Produced by ]

• MASE Yasuhiro
• NAKAZAWA Toshiaki
• WATAI　Toshihisa

[ Cast ]

• MOTOKI Masahiro ── KOBAYASHI Daigo
• HIROSUE Ryoko ── KOBASHI Mika
• YAMAZAKI Tsutomu ── SASAKI Shoei

[ Staff ]

• KOYAMA Kundo ── Screenplay
• HISAISHI Joe ── Music
• HAMADA Takeshi ── Director of Photography
• KAWASHIMA Akimasa ── Editor
• OGAWA Fumio ── Production Design

[ Production Company ]

Departures Film Partners, TBS, SEDIC INTERNATIONAL, SHOCHIKU, DENTSU, Amuse Soft Entertainment, SHOGAKUKAN, Mainichi Broadcasting System, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN COMPANY, TV-U YAMAGATA INC., TBS RADIO

[ Distributor (Japan) ]

SHOCHIKU

[ Production Studio ]

SEDIC International

[ Story ]

The winner of the 81st Academy Awards(R) Best Foreign Language Film and the Grand Prix at the 32nd Montreal World Film Festival. Focusing on the vocation of encoffineers, who assist in sending the deceased body off to final departure with dignity, Takita Yojiro of When the Last Sword Is Drawn delicately portrays the profession. The film was a blockbuster hit pulling in over 3 billion yen in Japan.
Kobayashi Daigo (Motoki Masahiro) is a cellist, but when his orchestra is dissolved he returns to his hometown in Yamagata prefecture with Mika (Hirosue Ryoko), his web designer wife. He finds a classified ad for a company which provides assistance for "Departures" and goes for an interview. The company has just two people, a female clerk (Yo Kimiko) and the president (Yamazaki Tsutomu), and the business of the company turns out to be preparation of deceased bodies for funerals by wiping them clean and putting make up on them. Nonetheless, Daigo joins the company as a trainee, attracted by a good salary, and gradually realizes the value of the job of an encoffinner. His wife, however, despises it and leaves him. When she returns due to pregnancy, she sees what the job involves at first hand and understands its value. Just then they receive news of the death of his father, who left home when he was still young. Daigo overcomes the bitter feeling towards him and takes charge of preparing the body of his father.

[ Official Site ]

http://www.shochikufilms.com/film/detail.php?product_code=703

[ Premiere ]

World Premiere: The World Film Festival Montreal 2008

[ Film Festivals, Awards ]

Academy Awards 2008 Best Foreign

The World Film Festival Montreal 2008 Grand Prix

Hawaii International Film Festival 2008 Audience Award

Golden Rooster Awards 2008 Audience Award (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor)

[ Contact (International) ]

SHOCHIKU CO., LTD.
International Sales & Licensing
Togeki Bldg., 4-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8422
tel: +81-3-5550-1623
fax: +81-3-5550-1654
E-mail: ibd@shochiku.co.jp
http://www.shochikufilms.com