Release Date

September, 11th, 2004

Running Time

108 min

Genre

Feature

Color

Color

Screening Format

35mm

Screen Size

-

Sound Processing

-

[ Directed by ]

• HOU Hsiao-Hsien

[ Produced by ]

• MIYAJIMA Hideshi
• LIAO Ching-Sung
• YAMAMOTO Ichiro
• OSAKA Fumiko

[ Cast ]

• HITOTO Yo ── Yoko
• ASANO Tadanobu ── Hajime
• KOBAYASHI Nenji ── Yoko's Father

[ Staff ]

• HOU Hsiao-Hsien ── Screenplay
• CHU T'ien-Wen ── Screenplay
• LIAO Ching-Sung ── Editor
• LEE Ping-Bing ── Cinematography

[ Production Company ]

SHOCHIKU, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN COMPANY, Sumitomo, Eisei Gekijo, IMAGICA

[ Story ]

Taiwan's Hou Hsiao-Hsien (Flowers of Shanghai, Millennium Mambo) directs this gently observant drama made to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of revered filmmaker Ozu Yasujiro.
Freelance writer, Yoko (Hitoto Yo), has just returned to Tokyo from a research trip to Taiwan. After giving souvenirs to her friend, bookstore owner Hajime (Asano Tadanobu), she heads for her family home in Takasaki to visit the family grave. Back home for the first time in years, she announces to her father (Kobayashi Nenji) and stepmother (Yo Kimiko) that she is pregnant by a Taiwanese man and intends to raise the child on her own. They cannot hide their concern, but do not speak against it. After returning to Tokyo, Yoko tells Hajime, who expresses similar anxiety because of his feelings for her. He attentively takes care of Yoko when morning sickness sets in, and keeps her amused with pictures of trains he creates on his computer. When Yoko's parents visit Tokyo for a funeral, she reasserts her desire to live her life and raise her child as she sees fit.

[ 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