Still Walking

Japanese film director Hirokazu Kore-eda will compete in San Sebastián for the third time, following Wandarfuru raifu (After Life, 1998) and Hana yori mo naho (Hana, 2006). A family drama about grown children visiting their elderly parents, which unfolds over one summer day. The aging parents have lived in the family home for decades. Their son and daughter return for a rare family reunion, bringing their own families with them. They have gathered to commemorate the tragic death of the eldest son, who drowned in an accident fifteen years ago. Although the roomy house is as comforting and unchanging as the mother’s homemade feast, everyone in the family has subtly changed. This is a typical family, bonded by love as well as resentments and secrets. With a subtle balance of gentle humor and wistful sorrow, Kore-eda portrays just how precious and exactly how annoying family can be.