Program 54: Departures (Trailer)

DEPARTURES (OKURIBITO) - Program 54: Closing Night - Thursday, May 7, 2009 - 7:00 PM - Aratani/Japan America Theatre -

2009 ACADEMY AWARD WINNER: Best Foreign Language Film

A premiere symphony orchestra in Tokyo disbands, leaving Daigo Kobayashi suddenly unemployed. Suffering from an innate sense that he is a mediocre musician, he faces up to the fact that not everyone who has devoted their life to music can become a top artist. With wife Mika in tow, he moves back to his hometown in the northeastern prefecture of Yamagata. They move into the crumbling remains of his mother's house, which doubled as the local pub. Spotting a Help Wanted ad featuring the word "departures," he arrives for an interview, excited about the prospect of trying a new career in the travel industry. The company owner, Sasaki, hires him on the spot, with only a cursory glance at his resume. Daigo ventures to ask what is involved, and is stunned to learn what he has gotten himself into: the ceremonial "encoffination" of corpses prior to cremation. Sasaki, aging and in need of someone to carry on the tradition, urges Daigo to take the job, proffering large amounts of cash. True to Sasaki's expectations, Daigo develops a deep respect for life in all its variations, and a profound empathy for people trying to make peace with the finality of death. Too embarrassed to tell his wife about his new profession and admit that he has fallen in love with the townsfolk, Daigo vainly tries to keep his new life secret...

(Japan, 2008) Dir.: Yojiro Takita; Scr.: Koyama Kundo
35mm, 130 min., Color, Narrative, in Japanese w/ ES

Purchase tickets at http://www.vconline.org/festival

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• los
• angeles
• asian
• pacific
• film
• festival
• 2009
• visual
• communications
• yojiro
• takita
• koyama
• kundo
• japanese
• departures
• okuribito
• academy
• award
• oscar
• winner
• best
• foreign
• language

[trickzdf]

One of the best movies that a human had created...

[ub313human]

a very wonderufl movie, sad.

[Hyogoko]

Certainly one of the greatest movies ever, touching on a subject that human nature naturally turns away from, death. And making it a celebration of life.

[Neo7matrix]

Muy buena película. Está muy muy bonita!

[RoxieBLINK182]

It's coming out on the 12th of January, 2010.

[latham3556]

Is this on DVD?

[anaevasaida]

Maravillosa película. Wonderful movie.