The Cinematheque

“Irresistible … An intimate, warm embrace of a film, it radiates joy and harmony … Deeply charming and quietly moving.”

Dave Calhoun, Time Out

The bonds of sisterhood are beautifully portrayed in Kore-eda Hirokazu’s lovely adaptation of the acclaimed manga series Umimachi Diary. Three sisters—Sachi (Ayase Haruka), Yoshino (Nagasawa Masami), and Chika (Kaho), all twentysomethings—live together in the seaside town of Kamakura, in a home once belonging to their late grandmother. Upon news of their long-estranged father’s death, the siblings, dutifully, travel to his funeral in the country and there meet half-sister Suzu (Hirose Suzu), daughter of the woman he abandoned them for. Smitten with this shy, sweet-natured 13 year old, they invite young Suzu to live with them. Marked by a lighter, more comedic tone for the Japanese auteur, Our Little Sister delights with its tender portrayal of sibling dynamics and its careful regard for the quiet, inner lives of its female characters. As in so many of Kore-eda’s domestic portraits, the film’s delicate narrative blossoms out of small moments (mostly meals) shared in the home. Serene.

“Exquisite … Watching this film is a vitamin boost for the soul.”

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“Our Little Sister is so meticulously shot and gracefully orchestrated that it can be considered a worthy contemporary successor to Ichikawa Kon’s masterpiece The Makioka Sisters.”

Maggie Lee, Variety