“Renoir”, the most recent film by director Chie Hayakawa, who gained her recognition after her debut feature film “PLAN 75” was awarded the Caméra d’Or Special Mention at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival, will be screened in theaters on June 20 and distributed by Happinet Phantom Studios.

Hayakawa’s previous film, “PLAN 75“, depicted a shocking story where elderly seniors over 75 years old were forced to make a choice between life and death in the near future in Japan, a fierce warning is being sent out to the people of today. In the same movie, the leading role was portrayed by the well-known Japanese actress Chieko Baisho, yet the star of her most recent movie, ‘Renoir,’ was a newcomer who was 11 years old while filming.

Renoir recounts the tale of Fuki, a 11-year-old girl who lives with her father, who is battling an illness, and her mother, who is occupied with work during the late 1980s, during Japan’s bubble economy. Fuki, who is imaginative at her own pace, indulges her imagination and comes into contact with adults, each of whom has their own circumstances. The film provides an in-depth portrayal of children’s unique emotions, as well as the inability of adults to cope with life and the sadness of human relationships, with a warm eye and sense of humor.

The main character, Fuki, is played by Yui Suzuki. She played the lead in her first film role in “Fureru” (directed by Kyosuke Takada in 2024), and appeared in “Don’t Smoke Here!” (directed by Keigo Yamaguchi) and “March 11th” (directed by Momoka Endo) in 2024, and “A Boy and His Dog” (directed by Takahisa Zeze, to be released on March 20, 2025) .

She was 11 years old when this film was shot, the same age as her character, and was selected for the lead role in an audition from among many candidates. Her freshness is reflected on the screen in the way she gazes straight at adults, in her natural dynamism that is unique to her age, and in the lonely expression she sometimes shows.

Hikari Ishida plays Fuki’s mother, Utako, and Lily Franky plays her father, Keiji. The adults Fuki encounters some friends played by Ayumi Nakajima, Yumi Kawai, and Ryuta Bando, following their roles in “PLAN 75.

Director Hayakawa said, “The film is happy, fun, lonely, and scary. These are the emotions that fill a child’s small body to overflowing. When “sadness” is added to them, people may become adults for the first time. I hope that the complicated and bizarre sensitivity and rich loneliness of the girl who hovers on the delicate border between childhood and adulthood will touch the hearts of those who see this film with intimacy.

The film was shot in Japan from July to September 2012 and overseas in November, and is currently in post-production. It is also an international co-production between Japan, France, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia, and is expected to once again attract the attention of film festivals and filmmakers in various countries.