Stockholm Film Festival

Machiko has just started working as acaregiver for old people. At the retirement homein the Japanese city Nara, death is a constantsubject for discussion. Machiko meets hermirror in grief, developing a bond to 70-year-oldwidower Shigeki. The old man mourns his latewife, who has been dead for 33 years – Machikostill grieves her lost child. When Machiko takesShigeku out for a daytrip, the roles stretch. In theold forest the young caregiver and her patientstruggle to find their way through the woods.There are no formal rules for their friendship.Who is taking care of whom?Director Naomi Kawase uses the serenityand spirituality of nature to tell a story aboutmemories, grief and human behaviour. TheMogari forest becomes more than branchesand leafs; it is a pillar of support, a firm guide for the lost. “The Mourning Forest” will lingerlike a wet leaf stuck under your shoe.

Premiere Status

Swedish Premiere

Orig. title

Mogari no mori

Cast

Shigeki Uda, Machiko Ono, Makiko Watanabe, Kanako Masuda,

Producer

Christian Baute, Naom Kawase

Script

Naomi Kawase

Cinematography

Hideyo Nakano

Music

Masamichi Shigeno

Spoken language

Japanese

 

Other films from the Asian Images section

See all the festival films from 2007