Monday, February 15 7:00 pm Studio Theatre
Director: Yojiro Takita
Cast: Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryoko Hirosue, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
Named the best foreign-language film of the year at the 2008 Academy Awards®, Departures derives its name from a little misunderstanding we learn about partway through the film’s first act: the protagonist sees an ad in a paper and thinks he is applying for a job at a travel agency, when in fact, the ad is meant to say “the departed,” or the deceased. The film opens with a meticulous and beautifully shot scene depicting a rite of passage from this world to the afterlife, in which the newly departed is cleansed, clothed, made up and positioned according to rules prescribed by years of tradition. We are then introduced to Daigo (Masahiro Motoki), a happily married cellist working in Tokyo. But things fall apart very quickly when his orchestra disbands and he suddenly finds himself out of work. Worse, he comes to the devastating conclusion that he is simply not a star musician, and will not make it on the virtues of his talent alone.
“The goal here is to teach them not only how to dance but also to teach them the joy of dance.”
- Jennifer, dance parent
