ALL OF A SUDDEN

From Ryusuke Hamaguchi, director of the Oscar-winning Drive My Car, comes All of a Sudden, a moving portrait of friendship in the face of illness. Director of a care facility for the elderly, Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira) strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respecting residents' dignity, despite resistance from some of her staff. Her unexpected encounter with Mari (Tao Okamoto), a Japanese theater director battling cancer, will profoundly change her life. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women find in each other the courage to face what lies ahead. Inspired by a real-life exchange of letters between a Japanese philosopher facing terminal cancer and an anthropologist, the film moves between Paris and Kyoto. Efira and Okamoto, each acting in a language not her own, shared the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Quietly profound, this is an unforgettable  film about care, chance, and the bonds that give life meaning. All of a Sudden is Japan's submission to the Oscars for Best International Feature.