Cherry Blossoms (2008)
"Kirschblüten - Hanami" (original title)

After Rudi's wife Trudi suddenly dies, he travels to Japan to fulfill her dream of being a Butoh dancer.

Director:

Doris Dörrie

Writer:

Doris Dörrie (screenplay)

Stars:

Elmar Wepper, Hannelore Elsner, Aya Irizuki

7 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Elmar Wepper	...	Rudi Angermeier
Hannelore Elsner	...	Trudi Angermeier
Aya Irizuki	...	Yu
Maximilian Brückner	...	Karl Angermeier
Nadja Uhl	...	Franzi
Birgit Minichmayr	...	Karolin Angermeier
Felix Eitner	...	Klaus Angermeier
Floriane Daniel	...	Emma Angermeier
Celine Tanneberger	...	Celine Angermeier
Robert Döhlert	...	Robert Angermeier
Tadashi Endo	...	Butoh Dancer
Sarah Camp	...	Butcher
Gerhard Wittmann	...	Doctor #1
Veith von Fürstenberg	...	Doctor #2
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Walter Hess	...	Pfarrer

Storyline

When Trudi learns that her husband Rudi is dangerously ill, she suggests visiting their children in Berlin without telling him the truth. As Franzi and Karl don't care much about their parents, Trudi and Rudi go to the Baltic Sea, where Trudi suddenly dies. Rudi is thrown out of gear, even more when he learns that his wife wanted to live a totally different life in Japan...

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Plot Keywords:

japan | city | language barrier | full frontal nudity | asiatic | 

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Genres:

Romance | Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de] Official site [fr]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English Japanese

Release Date:

6 March 2008 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Cherry Blossoms

Filming Locations:

Allgäu, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,322 (USA) (16 January 2009)

Gross:

$103,797 (USA) (19 June 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Olga Film GmbH, Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), ARD Degeto Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Tokyo Story (1953)

User Reviews

Discovering the Essence of the Other

Discovering the essence of the companion, family, friends and others is the challenge posed by the story.

The movie takes you to geographical places you might never been before, as well as into your inside and your persona.

Great to reflect while feeling lost in both places and enjoying a work of art.

You will go as far away as Tokyo and as deep inside as your more basic understanding of human beings.

The unit of the story is a family at a moment of crises.

Some may see this story as a sequence of complains. But it can also be seen as stepping stones in the road to happiness.

It stresses the relevance of how taking good care of ourselves is the beginning of taking others feelings into consideration.

Some might have the feeling of not having a complete set of tools to approximate of understanding others essence, and feel compelled to change and develop them.

In syntheses the play depicts the sharp contrast in the two faces of the coin of life the one that gets engulfed by routine and the one that consciously chose to live on the other side seeking truth in the road of simplicity.