There are few international filmmakers working today that have the acclaim and reverence of Naomi Kawase. And with her latest feature, “True Mothers,” selected as the official Japanese entry into the Oscars race, it appears she’s, yet again, in the middle of the awards discussion.
READ MORE: International Film Contenders Ready For A Wide Open Oscars Race
And with “True Mothers” arriving in virtual cinemas at the end of the month, we’re happy to give our readers an exclusive look at the first trailer for the feature. “True Mothers” tells the heart-wrenching story of a married couple that has struggled to get pregnant. And they believe their prayers have been answered when a young girl offers her unborn child to them for adoption. But what happens when that mother comes back years later and wants her kid back? As mentioned, Kawase is the director of the film. She also co-wrote the feature alongside Izumi Takahashi.
“True Mothers” arrives on Film Movement’s Virtual Cinema on January 29. In fact, Film Movement is going ahead and putting “True Mothers” in a special screening package with other International Oscar-contending films such as “Blizzard of Souls,” “My Little Sister,” and “You Will Die at Twenty” for the one-time price of $30. That’s basically four films for the cost of two movie tickets. A pretty great deal, to say the least.
READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021
You can watch the exclusive trailer for “True Mothers” below.
Here’s the synopsis:
TRUE MOTHERS represents the first time that talented Caméra d’Or-winning director Naomi Kawase has represented her country on the Oscar stage (and only the third time from 67 submissions that Japan has been represented by a woman, after Yong-hi Yang for Our Homeland in 2013 and Mipo O for The Light Only Shines There in 2015). After a long and unsuccessful struggle to get pregnant, Satoko (Hiromi Nagasaku) and her husband, Kiyokazu (Arata Iura), decide to adopt a baby boy. A few years later, their family is shaken by Hikari (Aju Makita), a young woman, who claims to be the child’s biological mother. Satoko decides to confront Hikari directly in TRUE MOTHERS, a universally acclaimed official selection at Cannes and the Toronto International Film Festival, nominated for a Golden Seashell and Gold Hugo at the San Sebastian and Chicago International Film Festivals, respectively.
