★ The Biggest Winners of the 2023 Japan Academy Film Prize
★ Director Hiroshi Ishii is the youngest Best Director winner in the history of Japan's Blue Ribbon Film Awards
Mikazuki-en is a care home for severely disabled people that is situated deep in a forest where the sun doesn’t shine. Yoko Dojima, who once achieved fame as a novelist, starts working there. She then lives a quiet and humble life together with her husband Shohei.
Yoko gradually becomes used to working at the facility, which she discovers is no paradise. She witnesses her colleagues’ cruelty, violence, and abuse toward the residents. But the facility director turns a blind eye to their behavior and insists. Yoko can only share the issues with her colleague who is also named Yoko and the young man Sato. More than anyone, Sato is frustrated by the unfairness and duplicity of society. His increasing sense of justice and mission eventually turns into outrage that he’s unable to contain.
Director: Yuya Ishii
Cast: Rie Miyazawa, Hayato Isomura, Joe Odagiri, Fumi Nikaido
 | About the Director Director & screenwriter, from Saitama prefecture. He won the 29th PFF Award Grand Prize with Bare-assed Japan, which was his graduation project at the Osaka University of Art. The Great Passage won Best Film and Best Director at the 37th Japan Academy Film Prize. His filmography includes Our Family, The Vancouver Asahi, The Tokyo Night Sky is Always the Densest Shade of Blue, Almost a Miracle, All the Things We Never Said, A Madder Red, The Asian Angel, and Masked Hearts. | |