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Horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa turns lost love into a measured, melancholy ghost story.
Three years after losing her husband at sea and presuming him drowned and dead, grief-stricken piano teacher Mizuki finds him standing in her kitchen. Yusuke's return isn't cause for celebration or surprise, but the start of a moving journey, as the two travel around the Japanese countryside visiting old acquaintances marked by mourning.
Focusing on character and contemplation, and steeped in Japanese customs and beliefs, Journey to the Shore proves haunting in its story as well as in its themes of redemption and reconnection. In a subdued turn, Kurosawa (Loft, MIFF 2005; Doppleganger, MIFF 2004) transitions between mystery, quiet comedy, rural drama and sensitive romance, crafting a gentle, beautiful and evocative afterlife effort.
Winner of the Un Certain Regard Best Director award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.