Genki Kawamura Becomes First Japanese Director to Win Best Director Award at San Sebastian for His Debut Feature "A Hundred Flowers" The feature is co-financed and produced by AOI Pro.
September 29, 2022
Tokyo – We are honored to announce that Genki Kawamura, who made his feature film debut with "A Hundred Flowers(Hyakka)," won the Silver Shell for Best Director at the 70th San Sebastian International Film Festival. The feature is co-financed and produced by AOI Pro.
The award ceremony took place on September 24 local time. Held for nine days from September 16, the festival is Spain's largest film festival, along with Cannes, Berlin, and Venice, and has been running since 1953. Not only is it extraordinary for a first-time director to win this prestigious award, but he is also the first Japanese director to win this prize.
“A Hundred Flowers," starring Masaki Suda and Mieko Harada, was entered in the Official Selection to compete at the film festival, and officially screened on September 20 local time.
Director Kawamura and Ms. Harada participated in the festival’s photo call and press conference. Ms. Harada appeared on the red carpet wearing a yellow kimono, the theme color of "A Hundred Flowers." The official screening of "A Hundred Flowers" was a great success, filling the festival's largest capacity of 1,800 seats. After the screening, the audience rose to their feet to applaud the film. Ms.Harada and Director Kawamura were greeted with enthusiastic applause and cheers as they exited the theater lobby.
As a producer, screenwriter and novelist, Genki Kawamura has produced more than 30 films, including those of Mamoru Hosoda, “Bakemono no ko” (“The Boy and the Beast,” 2015), “Mirai” (“My Little Sister,” 2018) and “Belle” (2021) and of Makoto Shinkai, “Kimi no na wa” (“Your Name,” 2016), and “Tenki no ko” (“Weathering with You,” 2019). In 2018 he directed “Duality,” a contender in the official short film competition at the Festival de Cannes.
“A Hundred Flowers," released in Japan on September 9, was adapted from a novel of “Hyakka” written by Kawamura after his own experience. Diagnosed with dementia, Yuriko's mind quickly begins to fade. Yet, for her son Izumi, the memories of his mother feel as vivid as when he lived them. One in particular, when he believed she had disappeared, haunts him terribly.
A Hundred Flowers Trailer
New Year’s Eve. Izumi finds his mother Yuriko wandering in a park in the freezing cold. Diagnosed with dementia, her mind quickly begins to fade. Yet, for her son, memories of the mother who raised him on her own feel as vivid as when he lived them. One in particular, when he believed she had disappeared, haunts him terribly. As Yuriko slips slowly into oblivion, Izumi must come to terms with losing his mother again, this time forever. But on his path to acceptance, he uncovers Yuriko’s secrets and who she truly was.
Credit
| Cast | Masaki Suda, Mieko Harada, Masami Nagasawa, Masatoshi Nagase |
| Director | Genki Kawamura |
| Original novel | “Hyakka (Hundred Flowers)” by Genki Kawamura |
| Release in Japan | Sep 9, 2022 |
| Production | AOI Pro. |
| International Distributor | GAGA |
| URL | Official website |
| Producer | Taichi Ito |
| Assistant Producer | Nene Kumada |