Secondary-school student Sakuko accompanies her aunt Mikie on a holiday to a resort town on the coast far from Tokyo. Besides cycling trips and strolls on the beach, Mikie hopes to use the two-week holiday to complete her research project. In the meantime, Sakuko meets Takashi, a refugee from Fukushima who works in the hotel belonging to Ukichi, a friend of Mikie’s sister.
With Au revoir l’été, Fukada Koji wanted to make 'a film in which a scene with only a boy and a girl walking along the coastline is enough to take your breath away. A film without exaggeration, violence and eccentricity'.
With carefully observed scenes, Fukada not only succeeds in perfectly capturing the mood of a languid holiday, he also manages to subtly sketch the psychology of the different characters. In the meantime, he strikes a critical note on nuclear power and the phenomenon of the ‘love hotel’, where elderly businessmen take young girls.
- Director
- Fukada Koji
- Countries of production
- Japan, USA
- Year
- 2013
- Festival Edition
- IFFR 2014
- Length
- 125'
- Medium
- DCP
- Original title
- Hotori no sakuko
- Language
- Japanese
- Producer
- Kiki Sugino
- Production Company
- Wa Entertainment Inc.
- Sales
- Wa Entertainment Inc.
- Cinematography
- Negishi Kenichi
- Editor
- Fukada Koji
- Sound Design
- Jo Keita
- Music
- Jo Keita
- Cast
- Kiki Sugino, Nikaidô Fumi
- Website
- http://sakukofilm.com