Sidonie in Japan
Description
Isabelle Huppert, one of the best actors working today, crafts a uniquely soft and vulnerable character in Élise Girard’s low-key charmer. The eponymous Sidonie is a writer, predominantly known for an early novel that charted her grief after the deaths of family members in a car crash. Now grieving another loss, she agrees to a brief tour in Japan to celebrate a new translation of this book, accompanied by soft-spoken interpreter Kenzo (Tsuyoshi Ihara). What unfolds is a moving and gentle portrait of a woman slowly emerging from her protective carapace through probing conversations with Kenzo, a side trip to the famous art island of Naoshima, and the ghostly return of her deceased husband. Eschewing broad strokes of closure, Girard instead grabs at the heart with a beautifully nuanced look at a woman who finds a new lease on life.
Élise Girard was a press agent before she turned to filmmaking, beginning her career with two documentaries, Seuls sont les indomptés – L’aventure des cinémas action (2003) and Roger Diamantis ou La vraie vie (2005). She made her narrative feature debut with Belleville-Tokyo (2010), followed by Strange Birds (2017).
Film Details
Language French, English, Japanese
Original Language Title Sidonie au Japon
Year 2023
Premiere US
Runtime 95
Country Japan/Switzerland/Germany/France
Director Élise Girard
Executive Producer 10:15 Productions
Producer Sebastien Haguenauer
Writer Élise Girard
Editor Thomas Glaser
Cinematographer Céline Bozon
Cast Isabelle Huppert, August Diehl, Tsuyoshi Ihara
Print Source Indie Sales Company
Closed Captions Closed Captions are not yet confirmed for this program
Audio Description Audio Descriptions are not yet confirmed for this program
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation American Sign Language Interpretation is not currently scheduled for this film
