Keswick Film Festival

Synopsis

In this modern homage to Ozu’s 1953 masterpiece Tokyo Story, Dörrie’s moving and fascinating film begins with Trudi (Hannelore Elsner) being told by doctors that her husband, Rudi (Elmar Wepper), has a fatal illness - one whose progression is difficult to predict. Trudi keeps the knowledge of his fate to herself, encouraging him to take a trip with her to Japan. All he will agree to however is a trip to Berlin to visit their son, Klaus and daughter, Karolin - a minor disaster since either their son, nor his family, nor Karolin has time for them. So the story progresses towards Japan in an entirely unexpected way, and cherry blossoms become a metaphor for life's ephemeral beauty...