Monster

SYNOPSIS: When her young son Minato starts to behave strangely, his mother feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what's going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher and child, the truth gradually emerges.

DIRECTOR: Hirokazu Kore-eda

After graduating from Waseda University in 1987, Kore-eda joined TV Man Union where he directed several prize-winning documentary programs. In 2014, he launched his production company Bun-Buku. In 1995, his directorial debut, “Maborosi”, based on the original novel written by Miyamoto Teru, won the 52nd Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Osella. “After Life” (1998), distributed in over 30 countries, brought Kore-eda international acclaim. In 2001, “Distance” was selected in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and with his fourth work, “Nobody Knows” (2004), Yagira Yuya garnered much attention for becoming the youngest person ever to receive the Cannes Film Festival’s Best Actor Award. In 2008, he presented the family drama, “Still Walking”, which reflected his own personal experiences and received high praise from around the world. In 2009, “Air Doll” was world premiered in Un Certain Regard at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival and was widely praised for marking a new frontier in its depiction of a sensual love fantasy. In 2011, “I Wish” won the Best Screenplay Award at the 59th San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2012, he made his TV feature directorial debut with the series “Going Home”. His feature film “Like Father, Like Son” (2013) won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, received the audience awards at San Sebastian, Vancouver, and Sao Paulo International Film Festivals and broke the box office record of his past films in many territories.

In 2015, “Our Little Sister” premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and received five awards including Best Film and Best Director at the Japan Academy Prize, as well as the Jury Prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival. In 2016, “After The Storm” premiered in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2017, “The Third Murder” premiered In Competition at the 52nd Venice International Film Festival. In 2018, “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, Best Foreign Film at the 44th Césars, and many other awards, as well as being nominated for the 91st Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His first feature shot outside Japan, “The Truth”, starring French film legends Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche, was the opening film in competition of the 76th Venice International Film Festival. In 2022, his first Korean film, “Broker”, won the Ecumenical Jury Prize and Song Kang-Ho the Best Actor Award, the first award for a Korean actor, at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. He has also produced films for young Japanese directors. “Kakuto”, directed by Iseya Yusuke, premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2003. “Wild Berries” (2003) was written and directed by Nishikawa Miwa, whose second feature “Sway” premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2006. “Ending Note: Death of a Japanese Salesman” (2011) by Sunada Mami moved audiences worldwide.

Directed by: Kore-Eda Hirokazu

Year of production: 2023

Country: Japan

Duration: 2h 6min

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