The director Tetsuya Nakashima, known for films like ‘Confessions’ and ‘The World of Kanako,’ has announced the release of his first new film、’Sometimes Repentance’(Tokiniha Zange wo) in seven years, the film will be released in June 2025.
Hidetoshi Nishijima(‘Drive My Car‘) is the main character in this film, his first collaboration with director Nakashima. The film also features some star-studded cast of Japanese cinema, including Hana Kuroki, Kankuro Kudo, Kou Shibasaki, Shinya Tsukamoto, Tsurutaro Kataoka, Jiro Sato, and Koji Yakusho.
The film is based on Bunzo Uchiumi’s novel of the same name. The story demonstrates the bond between a parent and child from the perspective of a child with severe disabilities. Director Nakajima discovered the novel some 20 years ago, and he has always believed that it would be feasible to make a movie that would touch the audience’s heart. It was difficult for him to find supporters when he began writing the screenplay, but after 15 years of planning, he completed the film.
The film depicts “A story of adults who have suffered great trauma in the past, but who find a way out of their lives when they encounter ‘one small life’ that is desperately living in the present” from a unique point of view and with meticulous direction.
Nishijima plays the role of Satake, a man who lives with discord with his family. Satake (Nishijima), a man who turned away from his family; Akeno (kudo), a man who used his child as a means to survive; Satoko (Mitsushima), a woman whose daughter abandoned her; Tamie (Kuroki), a woman who could not love the child she gave birth to; Yonemoto (Sato), a man who could not care about others; Yuki (Shibasaki), a woman who devoted everything to her child… …. The film depicts life-size dramas of people with various circumstances, none of which can be turned away from as if they were other people’s affairs.
A teaser visual is also released. It conveys the tenderness and warmth of a small child’s bent hand and an adult’s hand held out to gently touch it.