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April Story

A Window on Asian Cinema

Urbanization · Love/Romance · Women  

  • CountryJapan
  • Production Year1998
  • Running Time67min
  • Format 35mm
  • ColorCOLOR
Program Note
Within the bleak confines of the city, director Iwai Shunji discovers a serene beauty, like cherry blossoms blowing in the wind, which he presents in this contemporary urban fairy tale. The film follows the female protagonist, Uzuki, as she moves from Hokkaido to Tokyo to attend Musashino University. Uzuki familiarizes herself with her new surroundings and meets new people, making new friends in the process. Although the film revolves around the reason why Uzuki chose Musashino Universty in the first place, Shunji waits until the end of the film to reveal her response to this question. The idea of new encounters and new relationships when a girl from the country goes to the big city is reason enough. Beautiful images that illuminate her new experiences do not necessarily have to carry explicit meaning to convey the warmth found in this film. The director, known for works that are international in flavor, has shifted towards a specifically Japanese visual style this time around:The film begins as Uzuki, full of hope, stands in a shower of cherry blossoms and ends with the anticipation of love while standing in the rain, red umbrella in hand. (Kim Ji-Seok)
Director
Director
Iwai Shunji
Born in Sendai in 1963, Shunji Iwai graduated from Yokohama National University and started his career directing music videos and CATV programs. In 1994, he made the short film Undo and received the NETPAC award at the Berlin Film Festival. In subsequent years, he made two theatrical features Love Letters(1995) and Swallowtail Butterfly(1996) earning a sterling reputation for his unique visual style.
Photo
Credit
  • Director Iwai Shunji 이와이 슌지
  • Producer Iwai Shunji
  • Cast Takako Matsu, Seiichi Tanabe, Kazuhiko Kato
  • Screenplay Iwai Shunji
  • Cinematography Noboru Shinoda
  • Production Design Yuji Tsuzuki
  • Editor Iwai Shunji
  • Sound Nakamura Jun
  • World Sales Rockwell Eyes
    Trentdeux #103, 5-2-5 Shiroganedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0071, Japan