Japanese director Hamaguchi Ryusuke's first French-language film, 'All of a Sudden,' premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday to a seven-minute standing ovation, the longest of the festival so far. The three-hour-plus drama, which explores the bond between two women brought together by terminal illness, moved many in the audience to tears.
The film stars Virginie Efira as the director of a Parisian nursing home that operates under the philosophy of 'humanitude,' a French approach to care centred on patient dignity. Okamoto Tao plays a terminally ill Japanese theatre director whose arrival at the facility deepens their connection, transforming Efira's character's understanding of true care. The supporting cast includes Marie Bunel and Jean-Charles Clichet.
Hamaguchi, visibly moved by the reception, thanked the audience through a translator, saying, 'Thank you for staying with us for this long movie. This film would not have been possible without the great actors and crew.' Celebrities attending the screening included Riley Keough and former footballer Eric Cantona.
The film is loosely inspired by the real-life correspondence 'You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse' by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono. Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna, spending two years developing the project in France, including actor workshops to understand French performance styles. It was shot on location in Paris and Kyoto.
This marks Hamaguchi's third appearance at Cannes, following 'Asako I & II' (2018) and 'Drive My Car' (2021), which won three prizes at the festival and later the Academy Award for Best International Feature. 'All of a Sudden' is his first film primarily set outside Japan. North American rights are held by Neon, with a theatrical release planned. The film opens in Japan on June 19 and in France on August 12.
