3 Japanese-Directed Films in Competition for Palme d’Or

Paris, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Films by three Japanese directors–Hirokazu Koreeda, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Koji Fukada–are in competition for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, to be held in May in southern France, organizers said Thursday. It is rare for as many as three Japanese directors to be in the running for the top prize in the festival at the same time. Koreeda’s “Sheep in the Box” is a futuristic story in which a married couple adopts a humanoid robot resembling their late son. It stars actress Haruka Ayase and Daigo of the male comedy duo Chidori. Hamaguchi’s “All of Sudden” depicts interactions between a Japanese woman battling illness and the head of a nursing home in France. In Fukada’s “Nagi Notes,” actress Takako Matsu plays the main character, a sculptor. Koreeda won the Palme d’Or in 2018 for “Shoplifters.” Expectations are also high for Hamaguchi, as he has received international acclaim for works such as “Drive My Car” and “Evil Doesn’t Exist.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]