Event details
A renowned stage actor and director learns to cope with a big personal loss when he receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. A beguiling fusion of Chekhov and Murakami, this Japanese drama is a seriously enriching experience
A theatre director, reeling from the death of his screenwriter wife, Oto, goes to Hiroshima to stage a version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. An odd-couple kinship develops with his young female chauffeur, which is beautifully observed as she drives him around in his vintage red Saab.
Oto’s death is dealt with in an extended prologue, but the mysteries she leaves behind – the strange half-finished dream she tells her husband about, and the tryst she is revealed to have had with the young actor Koji– hang over Yusuke for the remainder of the film. The presence of Koji in his version of ‘Vanya’ feels like a harsh coincidence, but soon plays like the hand of fate. Based on a Murakami short story, the film was a prize winner at Cannes and the Golden Globes.
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Starring: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tôko Miura, Reika Kirishima
Running time: 2 hours 59 minutes
Language: Japanese
Screening dates and times:
- Monday 25 August: 6:00 PM
- Thursday 28 August : 2:00PM*
- Sunday 31 August: 11:00 AM
*When available Thursday screenings are subtitled for our hearing-impaired audience members, ensuring an inclusive experience for all.