Winner of the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film Festival.Multiple award-winning filmmaker Naomi Kawase (Suzaku, The Weald) channels the classical Japanese masters in this sumptuous mood piece on longing and mourning. For Shigeki, life in a retirement home is a happy existence where very little ruffles his feathers. His pleasant demeanour attracts the attention of one of the staff, Machiko, who takes Shigeki on a drive in the country to honour his birthday. When the car is forced into a ditch, the unlikely duo is stranded. With Shigeki seemingly drawn into the forest, Machiko has little choice but to follow. “After the two enter the forest, the forest becomes the force that supports them. It watches over the two of them, sometimes gently, sometimes more strictly.” - Naomi Kawase