One of Japan’s great filmmakers has a brand new movie on the way and we couldn’t be more excited. Two years after his excellent "Like Father, Like Son," and from the man who gave us movies like "Still Walking," "Nobody Knows," and "After Life," Hirokazu Koreeda returns with "Umimachi Diary." And the first, full-length international trailer is here.
Based on the manga by Akimi Yoshida, and starring Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho, and Suzu Hirose, the story follows three sisters who attend the funeral of their father who they haven’t seen in 15 years. There they meet their 14-year-old step-sister for the first time and decide to care for her when no one else can. While we can’t understand a single word in the trailer, we expect another lovely melodrama with complex characters and heart-punching emotions.
"Umimachi Diary" opens in Japan on June 13th, and given he’s a regular on the Croisette, it’s probably safe to say this one will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. No U.S. distributor has picked up the movie just yet.