HANEZU

"A beautifully made, quietist and contemplative work... a delicately romantic and even subtly erotic love story." - Guardian

In rural Japan, three lovers face the consequences of infidelity and the complications of motherhood, along with other larger questions, in this film about humanity and nature.

Kayo and Tetsuo's seemingly idyllic existence is threatened by the revelation that Kayo has been having an affair with a Takumi, a local wood carver. When she falls pregnant, each of the trio find themselves reconsidering their relationships as they contemplate their place in the generational weave of Japan's history.

Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase (The Mourning Forest, MIFF 2007) presents a hymn to nature through this mythic love triangle, shot through with Japanese folklore. Lusciously filmed, Hanezu is a poetic journey into human passion.

D/P/S Naomi Kawase WS Memento Films L Japanese w/ English subtitles TD HD Cam/2011