After his acclaimed debut Happy Hour, Japanese director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi returns with the romantic drama ASAKO I & II, which was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes International Film Festival. Based on the novel “Netemo Sametemo” by Tomoka Shibasaki, the film tells a captivating story of love, identity and the shadows of the past. Asako, a young Japanese woman, falls passionately in love with the charismatic but unreliable Baku, who one day disappears without a trace. Years later, she meets Ryohei, who looks exactly like Baku but has a down-to-earth and responsible personality. Despite her initial skepticism, Asako begins a relationship with Ryohei, but she cannot let go of the memory of her first great love. When Baku unexpectedly reappears, Asako's emotional world is put to the test, and she must face the question of whether true love can be repeated – or whether it was just an illusion. With its subtle staging and poetic imagery, Hamaguchi explores deep emotional conflicts and the unpredictability of human relationships. ASAKO I & II was not only celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival, but also screened at numerous international festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. “Hamaguchi is one of the most innovative filmmakers in contemporary Asian cinema.” (Indiewire)
Drama, Romance
2h
12
JA
EN
DE
A romantic Japanese drama in which Asako meets the doppelganger of her childhood sweetheart.
After his acclaimed debut Happy Hour, Japanese director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi returns with the romantic drama ASAKO I & II, which was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes International Film Festival. Based on the novel “Netemo Sametemo” by Tomoka Shibasaki, the film tells a captivating story of love, identity and the shadows of the past.
Asako, a young Japanese woman, falls passionately in love with the charismatic but unreliable Baku, who one day disappears without a trace. Years later, she meets Ryohei, who looks exactly like Baku but has a down-to-earth and responsible personality. Despite her initial skepticism, Asako begins a relationship with Ryohei, but she cannot let go of the memory of her first great love. When Baku unexpectedly reappears, Asako's emotional world is put to the test, and she must face the question of whether true love can be repeated – or whether it was just an illusion.
With its subtle staging and poetic imagery, Hamaguchi explores deep emotional conflicts and the unpredictability of human relationships. ASAKO I & II was not only celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival, but also screened at numerous international festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.
“Hamaguchi is one of the most innovative filmmakers in contemporary Asian cinema.” (Indiewire)