“A powerful tale of quasi-biblical cycles of sin, atonement and redemption… a work of pristine beauty.” - Hollywood Reporter

Sad Vacation concludes filmmaker Shinji Aoyama's ‘North Kyusha Saga' - the previous two films being Helpless and Eureka (MIFF 00). It follows Kenji, played by Festival regular Tadanobu Asano (Café Lumiere MIFF 05, Invisible Waves MIFF 06, Hana MIFF 07), who inadvertently finds the mother who abandoned him as a child. Exploring human relationships in their infinite complexities, this highly evocative work recalls the preceding films, but also stands alone as a compelling feature in its own right.